Alltech Magazine Nov 2022 Edition

By Rich Zagon, Senior Director,

at

By Dharani Karthikeyan Head

at

India

Editor's Note

Welcome to the second issue of Alltech magazine, a publication that seeks to provide its readers with the latest news and information about the ever-changing tech industry Our mission is to provide the latest and most pertinent information to help our readers stay ahead of the competition and make informed decisions We are proud to announce that since the launch of our first issue last month, we have seen a 20% increase in subscribers This is a clear testament to the quality of our work and we are delighted that our readers find our content to be so valuable We look forward to welcoming more readers in the coming months and I would like to thank all of our current subscribers for the support they have shown us.

In this issue, we explore the topics of cyber security and data management two of the most important aspects of modern technology covering some of the most important news as well as highlights of the latest reports from the month of November 2022. Furthermore, with an aim to help you make the most of your business, we have shared reliable strategies for customer retention and a clear understanding of brand management

We hope that our readers will enjoy the variety of content that we have put together in this issue Thank you for being part of the Alltech family we can't wait to share more of our insights and stories with you in the coming months With that, we invite you to dive into the second issue of Alltech Magazine Enjoy!

ARUN SHAH

Editor-in-Chief

Editorial

Arun Shah Editor-in-chief Shah@alltechmagazine com

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Unified Data and Analytics Platform!

The amount of data available to businesses from around the world has increased more

Thepowerof K

than tenfold in the last decade, from megabytes to zettabytes It is a trend that will continue, as data generated by devices, infrastructure and operations, and social networks continues to grow

With vast amounts of data now available, the challenge for businesses lies in how to get the best value out of ever-growing data Companies of all sizes, from huge industries to small start-ups, are realizing the importance of data and how it’s key to their business strategy However, many business leaders are still struggling to align people and processes with their business data strategy It is imperative that business users are empowered to gain insights from live data, keep data in context and make intelligent decisions

SAP LABS INDIA

Dharani is the Vice President and head of engineering for analytics at SAP She has two decades of industry experience and has varied experience ranging from search engine development, middleware, orchestration to enterprise mobility She is passionate in the area of Data and Analytics and works closely with customer across various industries and help them succeed in their data journey

Organizations need a simple, streamlined approach to organize, store and analyze their data That can be difficult Data sprawl is rampant, with databases spread across multiple platforms, on-premise and in the cloud. The resulting complexity can slow down businesses and throw a wrench into data governance. In order to solve the important challenges every business faces today, it is critical to have connected data systems to gain realtime insights A unified data analytics platform can help in managing data sprawl by providing a centralized repository for all data This will allow easier management and analysis of data, as well as provide a single point of contact for data requests

In the wake of the pandemic, most companies are rethinking their decision-making processes and started transforming their business using data-driven strategies. Leaders have found that the data-driven culture they are trying to create is no longer a simple task In fact, many executives now agree that transforming their organizations into true data-driven enterprises is easier said than done For companies to become sustainable, data-driven intelligent enterprises and reap the greatest benefits, data should be democratized for the end users Businesses can make their IT systems more robust by providing the right data to the right end users This ensures businesses are able to make better decisions, improve operational efficiency, and ultimately become more profitable

Manage Data Effectively with a Unified Data Analytics Platform

Organizations have made substantial progress when it comes to managing data but that is not sufficient Even though rules governing data management, discovery, and consumption are put in place, IT organizations are struggling to ensure the data is available in the right system with the right capabilities. Many organizations are increasingly opting for best-ofbreed solutions to solve specific challenges, rather than relying on a single vendor for all data-management needs Enterprises face a dizzying array of data management options, from cloud-native applications that can collect insights from a single click, to onpremise technologies that are tightly integrated with legacy systems A new generation of data management platforms, which combine the strengths of on-premise and cloud-based technologies, can help companies improve their data processes, security and governance

Without effectively managing data, there’s little chance of connecting disparate data sources in real-time, let alone benefit from the insights that data can provide A unified data analytics platform enforces data governance, security, and policy enforcement in order to democratize data in a safe manner It also provides a strong semantic layer using which data can be easily analyzed further without being bogged down by technicalities

Data should not be replicated or moved from one system to another, but rather integrated with relevant data sources to harness the power of live data using business intelligence (BI), what-if analysis, and simulations. This transformed data can be used to make intelligent decisions.

Analytics is Business-critical. Make the right decisions!

Analytics is business-critical That’s no secret It is what got you to where you are today Yet, many organizations are still struggling to get value from analytics Companies that cannot reliably deliver the right insights at the right time are resigning themselves to mediocrity Enterprises often depend on planning and analytic tools to help answer business questions, but often the data they use to build their models do not match the data they need while making operational decisions Human error and inaccurate data lead to poor decisions, and these decisions have different consequences across industries.

Enterprises should bring together analytics and planning with unique integration to business applications along with smooth access to heterogeneous data sources to make accurate decisions With integrated planning and analytics, businesses would be able to find out What has happened and why did it happen? What could happen and what should happen? This integration ensures business models are agile and react swiftly to everchanging market needs The data solutions should offer planning, analytics, collaboration, and reporting to business users, so they can adjust their business plans based on progress made

Data should always be analyzed in its business context in order to get maximum value Enterprises should look at embedding insights into the context of business applications to maximize the results and increase efficiency Further, it is imperative for companies to look beyond traditional technologies and infuse artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA) for data analytics RPA helps enterprises browse through business content and build powerful process automation boosting productivity

Conclusion

In conclusion, “data” is underutilized in many companies

A unified data and analytics platform will help organizations realize the maximum potential of the data

The initial business-critical use cases require focused time and attention to be developed Once they are available, it will set the ball rolling to develop additional use cases. This will result in realizing the benefits of the platform and creating a data-driven culture in the entire organization! If you do not implement a unified data and analytics platform, you are at a disadvantage Set the right data strategy and make the switch today to help your business grow

Working with data is a marathon, not a sprint!

RichZagon, SeniorDirector,DataGovernance atQuilityInsurance

Rich Zagon is a senior data leader with over 20 years of experience driving solutions, strategies, governance, innovation, and process improvements in several data management disciplines both on the business and technology sides of organizations He has worked in multiple industries including Finance, Market Research, Distribution, and currently, Insurtech Rich has built and led multiple global data organizations for multi-billion-dollar public distribution companies and is a proven thought leader in data topics such as data management, governance, strategic planning, data technology implementations, analytics, and process improvements

In this article, Rich examines the perspective of working in various data management roles over a multi-decade period. Rich provides best practices for building an industry-agnostic data strategy, along with additional focus on the importance of data governance Please note that he has also shared anecdotes on a data professionals’ life in the opening two paragraphs, so if you wish to go straight to the main focus of the article, skip ahead to paragraph three

When you work with data, it’s bound to happen You’ll find yourself in a role that is just hard to explain to anyone who is outside of the same niche profession Then you know it’s coming, whether it is days, weeks or months You’re going to get questioned that very first time at a party, family dinner or catching up with old friends. “So, what is it that you do?” You feel that pool of sweat building up and like the popular Jordan Peele gif we’ve all seen a thousand times (Note: In case this reference is drawing a blank, I’ll refer you to Robert Hays as Ted Striker in the 1980 classic ‘Airplane’ when he starts sweating uncontrollable from the forehead down If neither reference is ringing a bell, just picture an over-exaggerated close-up shot of someone who’s so nervous that the sweat starts pouring out at a comically unreasonable rate). You’re thinking to yourself, “I prepared for this I knew it was coming How do I just explain all about data management and governance Maybe if I use a supermarket analogy, they’ll understand how simple taxonomy and schema can really be ” You know though that the very word itself, “DATA,” will evoke a different reaction by anyone you say it to Maybe they’ll think you are a software engineer or developer. Maybe you fix or sell computers. Maybe they don’t even know what to think. Such is the life of someone in this line of work

So how have I always handled this question for the past twenty years? I leaned into my sense of humor and never really answered the question “You’ve all seen ‘Friends’, right?” I would ask, and 99% of the time the answer is a resounding yes “Well, you know how no one really knew what Chandler Bing’s job was for all those years. That’s what I do I’m Chandler Bing ” Was it cheesy? Yep Did it get some laughs most of the time? Yep Did I ever have to follow-up with any more information about what I did? Nope

I’ve had the opportunity to work in data roles for more than half my life At one point I questioned how I ended up here, but now, I consider it a privilege and opportunity to both continue to learn and grow as a leader in the space, but also to pass on what I have learned along the way. When it comes down to it, whether you are kicking off a full data strategy, shifting to a data governance model or rolling out a broadscale technology innovation including a data management systems and processes, there is one rule we all should learn to operate under It should be a universal mandate Working with data is a marathon, not a sprint It’s a statement that was made to me early in my career and the depth of those words never truly resonated until more than a decade had passed and I had moved into a leadership role with my own team There are so many layers that go into any large data event or transformation, it simply is not something that can be done quickly if you want it done right

Data and all the key building blocks that make it up are foundational elements of business today. Any business across any industry I was lucky enough to be ahead of the curve and work in industries which were early adaptors of data management tools, tactics, strategies, and technological implementations Many industries and companies are still catching up to this day and first starting their journeys That word is key Journey Hence the concept of it being a marathon You need strategic insight and vision. You need proper planning. You need sponsorship and support, both at the day-today level and the executive level, including the proper funds allocated for multiple years of spending You are working on the building blocks of a successful foundation for your company If done right, you’ll create a flexible and scalable solution that can grow and the company grows and support just about every facet of your organization, domestic and globally. You’ll have put the parameters in place for a successful transition and transformation that can be leveraged time and time again and exist well beyond your tenure with the organization That is what you are striving for You are leading and driving the change and enabling the organization to keep it going based on what you and your team have documented and put in place

So, what are the key aspects to a successful strategy, plan or transformation into a data governance model or data management operation. It comes down to four parts, in no particular order (though I am personally biased that the first one will always be the most important one for a successful program of any kind):

People Data

Everything feeds off the strength of your team As a leader, you should strive to hire the best and the brightest. A former mentor of mine once told me to never be afraid to hire someone smarter or better than you It’s 100% true Fill your team with talent Support and nurture that talent to the best of your ability Earn their trust and respect by showing them the trust and respect they deserve

Remember that you won’t be able to keep everyone Data management and its specialties are very niche roles, and many don’t see it as a career, but rather a place to learn all about the back-end operations of an organization and use it to propel themselves into more technical roles in an IT capacity Always support this and help your team members to achieve their goals Your team’s success is ultimately a display of your success as a leader and developer of talent

& Process

Improvements

Any effective data governance model and/or data strategy will look at everything being done in the current state of your organization and attempt to find ways to make it more efficient Are there improvements that can be made to a process? Are there processes that need to be put in place? Do too many people have access to certain systems or databases and restrictions are necessary with a sign-off for changes? These questions and many others need to be answered You’ll want to engage with your organizations Lean or Six Sigma team, also referred to by many as continual improvement, to formalize a process to make as many people as possible in the organization a part of the efficiency process.

Another best practice is to start up a Data Governance Council This is a group of senior leaders from the key departments that interact with the data itself or the data team and would get together every one to two months and look at the list of global challenges that need to be prioritized and resolved In some cases, this will include items which will require budget approval, such as the request for a new system, and this group is empowered enough to be able to make the recommendations that are best for the organization and get the requested funds in a reasonable amount of time

Tools / Technology

Simply put, to be successful as you are going through any type of transformation, you’ll want to be put in a position to invest in new tools and technologies should the need arise You’ll need to be prepared to review multiple options and compare pros and cons You’ll also need to conduct a ROI analysis and have the build vs buy discussion within both your team and with your senior leadership group If you are proposing spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even potentially millions of dollars on solutions, you’ll need to show you are the strongest expert in your organization in this subject matter and be ready for any question that comes your way

This is also where it really helps to be able to tell the story of data If you can get your executive team to sit back and hear you out and you explain to them the why, what, how, when and maybe even where, you need to be dynamic You need to show you have a personality and connect the dots for them across the board It’s a skillset that takes time to learn and even more time to truly master. Be confident in your experience and expertise and stand by your recommendations At the same time, be open to feedback and willing to be agile where possible and compromise to do what is best for the company

Metrics / Measurements

In order for any change to be successful, you need to be able to measure the results and impact If you start at a point where you have no visibility into what is quantifiable or qualifiable, you are ultimately setting yourself up for challenges and potential failure down the road If there are metrics in place in your current state, make sure they are comprehensive enough to establish a baseline for the change you want to enact If not, or if you have nothing, you’ll need to establish the reporting and metrics as soon as possible so you can begin to build that baseline and then be able to measure specific results before and after the actual change or transformation takes shape. Having a comprehensive metrics deck will also support building your Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, which most senior leadership teams will want to see if they are investing in large scale change to their data and governance programs

It is also a great way to be able to measure the impact and performance of the individual members of the team as opposed to anecdotally attempted to determine performance Having real numbers to back up the quantity and quality of your team’s work is a fantastic way to support associate development Lastly, analytics enable you to create insights, or key findings within the data that would normally be hard to spot. You and your leadership team can then take these insights, prioritize them with the information you have available that is important to your internal senior leaders and customers and form actions and work tasks to focus on I’ve always felt a data organization is most successful when they are using information insights to drive prioritized actions

Once you have these elements in place, you’re ready to move forward Since every organization is typically at a different stage of its data marathon and journey, it’s prudent to investigate the data governance model and how it can be beneficial to any organization at any point in time Data governance is all about putting standards and rules in place that the entire organization can benefit from

It’s about building that foundation I spoke of earlier and moving your entire organization forward together towards a common goal while educating everyone to begin to use the same phrases and refer to terms and information in the same manner

It’s about creating roles for internal and external access to information and making sure that access to those roles is properly defined and maintained

It’s putting the pieces in place to support compliance and security solutions that allow an organization to go out and get well-known certifications such as ISO, SOC, HIPAA, and many others in order to give them a competitive advantage.

At the end of the day, it’s about change and managing change so that your organization can move forward and either keep up with the latest trends in your industry or make moves to be the trendsetter in your industry It takes time, it takes patience, and it most definitely is not a race that is run in one day Make sure you go out and get your training in because you’ll need to be ready to run that marathon

RANSOMWARE AS A SERVICE:

ENABLER OF PERVASIVE ATTACKS

BY CHRISTY ALEX

We are in the midst of a remarkable digital revolution that is making access to information and resources easier than ever before While this has created great opportunities for individuals and businesses, it has also brought with it some new dangers and risks One of the most concerning threats is the increasing contact people have with illegal markets through Deep Web and the Dark web

The Dark Web has become an increasingly popular platform for criminal activity, with its anonymous nature providing a safe haven for participants

One of the most concerning activities is the emergence of “Ransomware as a Service” (RaaS), which has become an attractive option for cybercriminals to make money

Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) is a business model that involves a partnership between ransomware operators and affiliates. Affiliates are charged a fee to use the ransomware created by operators to launch attacks. This model is similar to a Software as a Service (SaaS) business model, albeit with malicious intentions.

This type of business model has become increasingly popular as it allows ransomware affiliates to monetize their operations without having to invest in the development of ransomware software RaaS allows affiliates to remain anonymous, which makes it even more attractive to them

RaaS poses a significant threat to enterprises, as their data can be held hostage and their operations disrupted until they agree to pay the ransom For this reason, it’s important to understand the inner workings of RaaS and identify the key players in this chain of attacks Later in this article, we’ll look at what steps can be taken to protect your organization from Ransomware

Ransomware-as-a-Service Transforms Gangs Into Businesses

Ransomware-as-a-Service is transforming criminal gangs into well-organized businesses with sophisticated operations and support structures In the past, cybercriminals had to be tech-savvy to launch ransomware attacks

However, with the rise of RaaS, anyone with a bit of money and a criminal mindset can launch a malicious ransomware campaign.

Furthermore, the developers of these malicious tools provide technical support to their clients, allowing even the least technical hackers to launch successful attacks The success of these groups is largely attributed to their business-like approach and utilization of an agile development framework to create malware This process involves testing their products on victims in order to obtain real-world data and feedback, which they can use to refine their programs to make them more effective

The combination of these tactics allows them to develop and deploy malicious software more efficiently and effectively. The cycle of testing, debugging, and retesting ensures the malware is of high quality. This allows them to maximize the effectiveness of their ransomware and ensure that their customers receive the highest quality product, thus contributing to their success

The largest ransomware gangs have made millions

Over the years, a few syndicates have been mentioned more frequently than others in the context of ransomware These groups are highly organized and professional in their setup and execution, running like a well-oiled machine Often, when one ransomware gang vanishes, reorganizes, rebrands, and reappears, they are still well-known by those in the security community, demonstrating the longevity and sophistication of its operations. To better understand the threat, let’s look at some of the most significant RaaS ransomware gangs known to have strong networks of affiliates

Hive

The Hive Ransomware Gang is a prolific and highly sophisticated cybercrime organization that has caused significant disruption in the digital landscape They are believed to be a well-resourced and highly organized group of hackers, who specialize in deploying ransomware to target a variety of organizations, from small businesses to large enterprises

The Hive ransomware gang has been operating for the past year and a half, wreaking havoc on more than 1,300 businesses and organizations, according to US government agencies In that time, the gang has managed to collect more than $100 million in ransom payments.

The group has been tied to numerous ransomware campaigns, in each of these, the gang has demonstrated a high level of technical proficiency, as well as a willingness to use social engineering tactics to extort victims

REvil

REvil is a malicious ransomware malware that was recognized in 2019 as the culprit behind one of the most massive ransom demands on record, with a demand of $10 million. The ransomware is offered by PINCHY SPIDER, a criminal group that operates under an affiliate model, and typically takes 40% of the profits.

In July 2021, a group of affiliates associated with the ransomware group REvil exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in a systems management and monitoring tool developed by a company called Kaseya This enabled them to successfully compromise an estimated 30 managed service providers (MSPs) from a variety of countries and over 1,000 business networks managed by those MSPs The incident garnered widespread media attention and even resulted in a discussion between US President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on the topic of ransomware

Dharma

This particular malware strain seems to have originated from Russia and has been reported to have been in circulation since at least November 2016 with an increased amount of activity since 2018 Dharma ransomware is believed to be part of a larger family of ransomware of which Crysis first appeared in February 2016 and is believed to be the oldest variant in the group.

Dharma is particularly well known to target small businesses on a wide scale. According to statistics, the average ransom price demanded by Dharma is roughly $6500, though it can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the size of the business and the amount of data that is encrypted

LockBit

LockBit, first identified in September 2019, has been linked to a string of cyber-attacks across the globe, with organizations in the United States, China, India, Indonesia, and Ukraine among its notable victims The virus, which is known by the file extension “ abcd”, locks the victim’s files, rendering them inaccessible and demanding a ransom payment in exchange for their return.

Atento, a Brazilian CRM software company suffered a massive impact of $42 1 million due to the LockBit ransomware attack in 2021, resulting in a revenue loss of $34 8 million and an additional $7 3 million in costs related to mitigating the impact of the incident

Preventing RaaS Attacks

Recovering from a ransomware attack is an arduous and expensive endeavor, making prevention the best course of action It is equally important to take proactive steps to secure networks, devices, and data to reduce the chances of a successful attack

Let’s discuss various tactics and strategies that organizations can use to prevent RaaS attacks and protect their networks, data, and devices

Implement reliable modern endpoint protection

By continuously monitoring the network, endpoint solutions can detect and alert administrators of any suspicious behaviors, allowing them to take action before an attack can be launched Furthermore, endpoint solutions have the capability to detect communication between the host and the command and control (C&C) server, as well as any lateral movement attempts, both of which are common tactics used by Ransomware attackers.

Maintain a rigorous patch program

Although the current IT patch release cycle is 14 days, it does not take much time for a vulnerability to become known. If vulnerabilities are not patched, the consequences can be extremely costly Perform regular scans to detect any vulnerabilities, prompt patching of any newly discovered vulnerabilities, and regular reviews to ensure the patch program is running effectively

Perform regular and frequent backups

Scheduling regular backups a few times a week can ensure that any data or work product that has been modified since the last backup is saved The importance of this cannot be overstated – if a backup is only performed every weekend, an organization could lose up to an entire week of work Backups should be tested to ensure that they can be retrieved in the event of a RaaS attack.

Ensure that the backup system is properly configured and updated . Assign a dedicated team to monitor the backups and ensure that the backups are stored in secure, different offsite locations that are not connected to the original system This way, even if one backup is compromised, the other backups remain secure Taking the time to ensure that an effective backup strategy is in place is essential to protect data and minimize the impact of a ransomware attack.

Segment the network to hinder proliferation across the environment

Network segmentation is one of the most effective security strategies that can be deployed to impede the spread of ransomware across an environment. By dividing the network into discrete segments, organizations are better able to contain any malicious code, restricting it to a certain set of systems and networks before it has the chance to spread

Avoid Phishing attacks

Hackers are combining phishing and ransomware into a more sophisticated attack vector This combination has proven to be a successful way for hackers to infiltrate organizations, as unsuspecting victims are often fooled by the emails they receive from what they believe to be trusted sources Organizations must take measures to protect themselves from this type of attack by implementing an advanced antiphishing software.

LEONARDO,THENEWWORLD-CLASS EUROPEANSUPERCOMPUTERISINAUGURATED

LEONARDO, the newest EuroHPC pre-exascale supercomputer ranked fourth fastest in the world, was inaugurated in the Bologna Technopole in Italy by the European HighPerformance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) and CINECA EuroHPC JU is a shared intensive project aiming to build exascale supercomputers with the ultimate goal to strengthen the European presence in high-performancecomputingworldwide.

Thereistalkofaninvestmentofmorethan120 million euros, half of which will come from the European Commission fund and the rest from other organizations involved in the project: Italy, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project plans to be able to develop its power and its capacities in the yearstocome,inparticularinconnectionwith quantumcomputing.

It will become the second most powerful computer in Europe (after its Finnish HPC system sibling “LUMI”), and the world’s fourth most powerful computer. Atos now has 43 supercomputers in the TOP500, with two new systems joining the list, including Leonardo andPetrobras’Pégasosystem

It has a total of 3,500 Xeon processors, 14,000 NVIDIA A100 GPUs, includes 4,992 Intel Ice Lake calculation nodes, 100 Po of storage, for an overall power of 249 PFLOPS in the long term, and175PFLOPSforthemoment

InterestingfactsaboutLEONARDO:

Fully developed and assembled in the European Union, Leonardo will have a computing power of nearly 250 petaflops (250 “million billion” calculations per second).

It is currently the fourth most powerful supercomputerintheworld(andclimbing).

LEONARDOisparticularlysuitedforcomputeintensive tasks, such as high-performance dataprocessingandMachineLearning

LEONARDO + LUMI + MARENOSTRUM will form the most powerful HPC infrastructure on Earth

LEONARDO also contributes to the EUGreenDeal goals as it focuses on environmentalsustainabilityandisequipped with tools enabling a dynamical adjustment ofpowerconsumption,thusgrantingasmart andoptimalbalancebetweenenergysaving and performance. Moreover, it uses water coolingforincreasedenergyefficiency.

ThecurrentperformanceoftheLeonardocomputeris174PFLOPS(174millionbillioncalculations persecond),representingasignificantamountofcomputingpower Whilethisfigureis impressive,itfallsshortofthefivefastestcomputersintheworld

TheFrontiersupercomputerlocatedintheUnitedStateshasaperformanceof1,102PFLOPS,while theFugakusupercomputerinJapanhasaperformanceof442PFLOPS.Thirdplaceiscurrently heldbytheLUMIsupercomputerinEuropeat350PFLOPS.

INDUSTRY NEWS

"TigerGraph has long been committed to both democratizing graph and pushing the limits of industry innovation. "

TIGERGRAPHDELIVERS GRAPHTOALLWITHLATEST CLOUDOFFERING

Pass Wizard is a cloud-based password manager with the option

to store as many passwords as a user would like, and share select passwords within a group they create

According to Microsoft's Digital Defense Report from 2022, there's been a 74% increase of password attacks compared to last year. And research predicts the trend will continue to rise as it's become a cybercriminal's primary method of obtaining a person's identity Utilizing a secure password manager significantly reduces the risks of these types of attacks and serves as the first line of defense to protect users' accounts

"The addition of visual graph analytics and machine learning tools to our fully managed graph database-as-a-service offering which is available on all major cloud platforms lowers the barrier to graph entry even further Now, enterprises of all sizes can supercharge their data analytics and machine learning projects at scale with speed, asking and answering critical business questions that move the needle"

-Jay Yu, vice president of product and innovation at TigerGraph

TTigerGraph, provider of the leading advanced analytics and ML platform for connected data announced the latest version of TigerGraph Cloud, the industry’s first and

only native parallel graph database-as-a-service, highlighted by two powerful new tools for visual graph analytics and machine learning TigerGraph Insights, an intuitive visual graph analytics tool for users to search and explore meaningful business insights, and ML Workbench, a powerful Python-based framework to accelerate the development of graph-enhanced machine learning applications, are available today to TigerGraph Cloud users

TigerGraph Cloud is the industry’s first and only distributed native graph database-as-a-service, enabling users to accelerate the adoption of graph technology with easy-touse features that process analytics and transactional workloads in real time

NEWSTUDYREVEALSCONTENTGOVERNANCEISA TOPPRIORITYFORORGANIZATIONSMANAGING CRITICALDATA

Store an unlimited number of passwords

Add users to their group for an additional $1 67/month per user (billed annually)

Share select passwords with other users within their group

With Pass Wizard's paid plan, Pass Wizard Pro, users can: Sign up here

Rocket software released its 2022 Survey Report: Content Management – The Movement to Modernization The report revealed that content and system security are paramount when it comes to content management, with 60% of respondents citing it as the most important feature in a content management solution The findings also highlight the power and effectiveness of integrated automation to manage data that is not easily quarried or organized

A staggering 81% of respondents from organizations with 1,000-4,999 employees said they would gain a competitive advantage if their organization’s current processes relating to information security and compliance could be automated, including the management of the data associated with these processes

To read the full details on the findings, download the Rocket Software 2022 Survey Report: Content Management – The Movement to Modernization report

INDUSTRY NEWS

SECURITY

HACKERSHIDENEW MALWAREINPNGFILESTO EVADEDETECTION

AA new cyber espionage group has been discovered that is hiding malware in PNG image files

According to cybersecurity company Avast, “Worok” a new cyber espionage group of hackers is now using steganographic embedding to compromise PNG files and attack high-profile companies and government agencies PNG files are generally considered safe because they have minimal compression and are similar to the better-known JPG format. This is a worrying development, as it shows that hackers are increasingly using sophisticated methods to avoid detection and infecting victims

Avast has observed Worok employing a complex multistage design in order to conceal its activities The method used to initially breach networks is still unknown; however, once deployed, the first stage Abuse DLL side loading in order to execute the CLRLoader malware in memory CLRLoader module is then used to load and run the second stage DLL module (PNGLoader) PNGLoader extracts specific bytes that are hidden within PNG image files These bytes are used to assemble two executable files.

The steganography technique used by Worok is known as ‘least significant bit encoding This technique hides small portions of malicious code within specific pixels in an image The code can be later recovered by extracting the lowest bits of data within these pixels

The primary component of the malware is to open a backdoor to the compromised computer Once created, hackers can run up to 10 commands on the device, including uploading data to the machine through DropBox or downloading information into the hacker’s DropBox Additionally, they can delete any files on the device Avast explained that stealing data is the hacker’s ultimate goal

SECURITY

NORTONLABSREVEALS CYBERSECURITYPREDICTIONSFOR 2023

Norton has released its top cyber trends to watch in 2023, emphasizing that the economy will have the greatest impact on the spread of cybercrime next year

Norton Labs Top Predictions for 2023:

Scammers will prey on vulnerable consumers: Expect a rise in financial-based scams such as assistance scams faking government assistance programs to steal Personal Identifiable Information (PII); shopping deal scams setting up fake e-shops promoting low-cost products to steal personal information or cash out without delivering the order, and romance scams asking emotionally vulnerable consumers for money or gift cards

Short-staffed companies will be more open to vulnerabilities: Operating with a smaller staff, short-staffed companies will experience a jump in data breaches and ransomware attacks

Advances in AI will make scamming easier: Expect scammers to continue to wield AI in their crimes as this technology becomes even more accessible and easier to use. As language and video AI models advance, scammers can imitate real people in real-time with deepfakes to trick people into giving over their financial and personal information

Anticipate more breaches: Cybercriminals are finding ways to breach standard multi-factor authentication technologies Companies that continue to use weak two-factor authentication (2FA) practices will leave themselves and their customers open to serious data breaches which can lead to mass leaks of consumer information We can expect to see more data breaches, making it even more critical to continue to use unique, complex passwords across your accounts

To learn more about Norton's 2023 predictions, visit https://us norton com/blog/emerging-threats/2023predictions

tipsforgood brand management

Brand management is a complex and global process For this reason, many companies fail to implement their brand strategies, as much or more than to define them Without a strong understanding of how to navigate this process, it is easy for companies to make missteps that can damage their brand

A brand represents a company’s vision, values and personality It is the organization’s DNA It is the foundation of a company’s culture, values, strategy, how it interacts with its customers, and competitive advantage. Therefore, managing a brand requires a comprehensive and rigorous approach

We frequently confuse brand management with brand launch or planning and executing marketing and communication operations It is a strategic process that includes everything from market research and product development to advertising and promotions In other words, brand management is all about creating and maintaining a strong and recognizable brand

To realize a brand's full potential and sustain it over time, a suitable management model that encompasses at least six important pillars are required. Let's deep dive into each of them:

Strategic direction

The first step in good brand management is to correctly define where you want to go through a plan

Essential steps:

Define clear objectives and a 3 to 5-year strategic plan that indicates how these objectives will be achieved

Define the brand accurately and rigorously This includes, at a minimum, the purpose, value proposition, and brand personality To do this effectively, business, market, and customer data must be considered This will help to define legitimate and viable propositions

Identifying the metrics that will track the brand's progress against defined objectives, and staying ahead of the competition

Create the mechanisms that allow us to update or review the previously defined brand strategy and anticipate changes that may occur

Responsible brand management function

Often, companies do not manage their brands well because there are no teams with that specific responsibility

In this sense:

There must be a brand manager who assumes clearly defined functions, roles and responsibilities. This person should not only have a medium-term vision but also a transversal vision of the organization

In any case, have sufficient resources, both human and economic, and professional management systems, such as a Brand Center

It is important to have a brand committee where fundamental aspects of the brand and its evolution, both internal and external, are periodically discussed Depending on the characteristics of the company, it may be necessary to have brand ambassadors, people who make the spirit of the brand present in their sphere of influence in the organization.

Management processes

In addition to the people and functions that assume responsibility for managing the brand , it is imperative that companies have clear and defined protocols in this area

In short:

Have defined protocols for making decisions, both practical and management

Have manuals and guides for its implementation, by areas and projects This roadmap allows for coherent and coordinated execution across departments, as well as adequate and objective supervision.

Likewise, having metrics to evaluate results in the best possible way and detect possibilities for improvement ( share of voice and share of value are just two of them, each project must define the most appropriate ones)

Implication, coordination and alignment of practices with other departments

Management and execution priorities and controls (scripts established per project)

Brand profitability, metrics tracking and defined scorecards

Relations with interest groups

Deep down, brands are built based on the experiences they generate in interaction with their audiences Thus, a management or brand administration program cannot lack data and systems that assess the quality of this interaction.

Some examples:

Brand sentiment reports ; Control of relationship and communication metrics ; Perceived image, health and brand strength ; Conversion data (the funnel ); Satisfaction index, both internal (workers) and external (clients);

Systems for measuring the quality of the brand experience throughout the customer journey ; Investor Relations.

Leadership and culture

No company can build a strong brand if the people who make up the organization do not share the principles that inspire it and do not act in accordance with these on a daily basis

However, this does not happen spontaneously: to build a robust brand culture, there must be brand leadership in the organization that ensures that:

There is a defined brand culture, which is shared and transmitted;

People know, share and act according to the brand ; There are training programs and workshops about the brand;

Ideally, compensation systems linked to brand performance should be implemented.

Risks that impact the brand

The management of a first-class intangible asset, as is the case of the brand, must have a risk management system that allows identifying, evaluating and mitigating their possible occurrence and consequences, and thus dissipating future economic problems beyond its impact on reputation

Risk identification Risk assessment

Risk mitigation

Risk monitoring

Communication, implication and brand risk reporting

In any case, managing a brand in a variable and volatile context, such as the one we are currently experiencing, must be a dynamic process, which is why both the model itself and the different elements it includes must be periodically evaluated Thus, you will be able to check if they are still relevant to the brand or not and incorporate new aspects that may be necessary at each stage, to guarantee an effective and successful management of the brand

"The best brand management models are those which use all the tools available and combine traditional and digital tools,”

"If you don't think about your business as a daily conversation with your customers and identify and address their needs as closely as they do, you're missing an opportunity to grow your brand"

REDUCE CUSTOMER CHURN

10 PROVEN WAYS TO TRY!

Churn is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the business world, especially

when it comes to startups. The customer churn rate represents the rate of canceled customers within a given period of time and it is essential for your company to keep an eye on this metric because it can indicate how well a company is retaining its customers. It is no secret that customer churn rate is a big deal for businesses. Losing customers can be a huge blow to a company’s bottom line. And for companies that have a high percentage of customers churning, the financial impact can be even worse.

A high customer churn rate can be costly for businesses, as acquiring new customers is typically more expensive than retaining existing ones. Additionally, it can be a sign that a company’s products or services are not meeting customer needs. As a result, reducing the churn rate should be a priority for businesses. There are many ways to reduce customer churn, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Understand the Reason behind Cancellations

When it comes to reducing customer churn, it is imperative that you first understand the reasons why customers are canceling their service or subscription with your company. Only then will you be able to develop an effective action plan to reduce the number of cancellations.

There can be many reasons why customers cancel their subscription, such as dissatisfaction with the product, poor customer service, or simply because they no longer need the product or have found a better deal elsewhere. It is important to take the time to speak with customers who have canceled their service in order to get a better understanding of why they made that decision. Was it a problem with the product? With customer service? With the price? Once you understand the reason for cancellations, you can use your data to predict which customers are most likely to cancel in the next 90 days and target those customers with a personalized solution designed to help them continue their business with you.

Monitor Customer Loyalty

Customers are more brand aware than ever before, and they know what they want. The key to reducing customer churn is to understand their expectations and perceptions about your brand. To do this, you need to conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys to capture feedback and make the necessary adjustments to increase overall loyalty.

There are several satisfaction survey models available that can help reduce the churn rate for businesses. These include the Net Promoter Score (NPS), the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and the Net Emotion Score (NES). Each of these surveys measures customer satisfaction in different ways, so businesses can choose the one that best suits their needs.

This data can form the basis of proactive customer service and marketing campaigns that help to minimize churn rates and drive sustainability.

SHOW YOUR TRANSPARENCY TO YOUR CUSTOMERS BY ALLOWING THEM TO KNOW HOW YOU INTEND TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE CUSTOMERS WILL APPRECIATE THAT YOUR COMPANY VALUES THEIR OPINION AND IS WILLING TO CHANGE ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS. THIS WILL SHOW THEM THAT YOU’RE COMMITTED TO THEIR SATISFACTION AND MAKES THEM FEEL IMPORTANT

In addition to applying the surveys, be sure to listen calmly to customer feedback. Ignoring customer feedback is one of the quickest ways to lose them. If they’re not happy with something, they’ll let you know –whether it’s through online reviews, social media, or directly to your customer service team. Make it easy for customers to provide feedback, whether it’s through a survey, an online form, or even just a simple phone call. It will help you to learn about their true experiences and what they think of your company. After you’ve listened to your customers, it’s time to take action. Implement the changes that they’ve requested and keep them updated on your progress. Make sure to talk about negative feedback openly with your workers, customers and managers, understanding the potential root causes and further improvements that could be made.

Implement a Continuous Feedback Program

To optimize sales and reduce customer churn, companies must track their key performance indicators, find and address potential problems before they occur, and focus on improving the customer experience.

An effective way to do this is by implementing a Continuous Feedback Program that gathers data from multiple sources and then analyzes the results to optimize operations. When done correctly, a Continuous Feedback Program can provide invaluable insights into a company’s sales process and help them fine-tune their operations for maximum efficiency.

This data-driven approach allows businesses to constantly adapt their strategies to better meet the needs of their customers. In turn, this leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, both of which are essential for sustainable longterm growth.

Personalize Customer Onboarding Process

Neglecting the onboarding process results in high customer churn The impact of poor onboarding can be felt, either passively or actively. A consumer may turn to a competitor because they may feel that your brand isn’t providing them the support they need to be successful. To lower the customer churn rate, provide more personalized attention during the onboarding process. This means creating a process that moves customers smoothly from acquisition to retention without any hiccups.

Focus on the customer’s individual needs during the onboarding process. By taking the time to understand each customer’s unique situation, you can create a tailored onboarding experience that will help them stay with your company for the long haul. Retaining customers is essential to the success of any business, but it can be difficult to find the time to focus on onboarding when you’re busy growing your company. Many SaaS companies, especially during periods of rapid growth, view onboarding as a luxury they can’t afford. However, investing time and resources into a solid onboarding process is essential to keeping your customers happy and ensuring long-term success.

Reduce Churn Using Customer Journey Analytics

If companies want to find out why customers aren’t sticking around, they may want to look at the customer journey. For every customer that doesn’t come back, there are many important data points that companies need answers for. Our research found that customer journey analytics can help companies identify pockets of improvement, including gaps in onboarding programs, service interactions, and product usage. Effective customer journey analytics helps companies stitch together those pieces of the puzzle so they can understand the root causes of customer churn.

Train Your Employees to Reduce Customer Churn

It is important to invest in a capable team to offer the best customer experience and reduce churn excellence should be part of all company processes, however, when customer service is the focus, this should be given extra attention. By teaching your employees how to provide excellent customer service, you can reduce the number of customers who become disgruntled and stop using your company’s products or services.

Focus on helping them understand the importance of customer retention and why it’s crucial to the success of your company. Provide them with the tools and resources they need to be successful in their roles and make sure to set clear expectations and hold them accountable for meeting those expectations. You can hold customer service workshops, bring in guest speakers and create customer service training manuals. Whatever method you choose, make sure that your employees are properly trained in how to deal with customers. While teaching them how to de-escalate difficult customer service situations is important, giving them the freedom to offer creative solutions to customers who are at risk of churning is equally important.

Deliver a Great Customer Experience Consistently

It’s the “how” you do things that matter, not just the “what.” A great experience is one that is memorable and one that the customer wants to have again and again. It’s an emotional connection created between the customer and the company.

CX is not a one-time event, it’s a journey that starts from the very first interaction the customer has with your company, and it should continue through the entire customer lifecycle. Creating a great customer experience should be a goal for every company, no matter the industry. It’s a company-wide initiative that should be championed from the top down. CX should be a focus for every employee in your company, not just those in customerfacing roles.

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors and industry benchmarks

It’s important to keep an eye on your competitors and see what they’re doing to keep their customers. If they’re offering something you’re not, then you need to find a way to match or exceed their offer. This will help you retain customers and reduce the churn rate.

Another way is to compare key performance indicators (KPIs) against competitors and industry averages. Among other things, it can reveal how your business is doing, which areas can be improved and how you can identify opportunities.

Avoid Customer Churn and Bet on the Power of Loyalty Plans

Loyalty programs are one of the most effective ways to reduce customer churn. By offering incentives for customers to stay with your brand, you can encourage them to remain loyal even when they’re faced with tempting alternatives.

Win Back Customers Who Have Churned

Loyalty programs are one of the most effective ways to reduce customer churn. By offering incentives for customers to stay with your brand, you can encourage them to remain loyal even when they’re faced with tempting alternatives.

There are a few things you can do to try and win back customers who have churned: Find out why they left in the first place. Was it something about your product or service that they didn’t like? Or was it a problem with the way they were treated by your staff? Once you know the reason, you can try to address it. Consider offering a discount or incentive for customers who have churned to encourage them to come back.

DDOS

In the security field, DDoS attacks are a well-known threat Since the early days of the internet, DDoS attacks have been a major pain point for network security engineers. Some of the largest companies in the world, such as Google and Amazon, have been the target of DDoS attacks.

When it comes to online security, DDoS attacks are one of the most serious threats businesses can face. Not only can they damage brand reputation, but they can also cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in revenue Unfortunately, DDoS attacks are becoming more and more common, as attackers are becoming more sophisticated and finding new ways to exploit weaknesses in network security. That’s why it’s more important than ever for businesses to be prepared for a DDoS attack and have a plan in place to respond quickly and effectively.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what DDoS attacks are, how they can impact your business, and what you can do to protect yourself. We’ll also share some best practices for responding to a DDoS attack, so you can minimize the damage and get your business back up and running as quickly as possible.

WHAT IS A DDOS ATTACK?

A distributed denial of service or DDoS attack is a type of cyberattack which attempts to overload a server or network resource with unauthorized traffic or requests, causing the server to crash. This results in the targeted web property being unavailable or unresponsive to its intended users on the Internet.

DDoS attacks are used for a variety of purposes, from blackmailing a business into paying a ransom, to simply disrupting operations. While the latter may seem like a less harmful motivation, the reality is that DDoS attacks can have serious consequences for the businesses and individuals targeted In some cases, data and systems may be irrecoverably damaged, and the financial losses can be significant.

But that’s not all. DDoS attacks can also be used as a smokescreen to disguise a more serious breach that is happening in the background. So not only do you have to deal with the immediate fallout of an attack, but you also have to worry about the long-term damage that may have been done.

THE RELEVANCE OF PROTECTION

AGAINST DDOS ATTACKS

We are in the age of digital transformation where every industry is turning to digital methods to increase efficiency and connect with customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to work remotely, at least partially This increased reliance on digital tools and services has made DoS and DDoS attacks more relevant than ever.

A substantial surge in DDoS attacks has been seen in recent months, as evidenced by the standard headlines for many information security news, which begin with phrases such as “A significant increase in DDoS attacks in…” following that with the country, firm name or industry. Media, government websites, industrial facilities, hospitals, banks, IT, and even individuals have all been targeted by DDoS attacks.

Despite the serious nature of DDoS attacks, many organizations do not take the necessary steps to protect themselves, especially small businesses.

This is often because they underestimate the risk or believe that they are too small to be a target However, as DDoS attacks have become more prevalent, it has become clear that the goals of attackers can be quite different from what companies expect

Your organization could be attacked to extort money for stopping a DDoS attack and restoring your service, to divert attention away from your security team as another group launches a more complex attack, or just because it’s an easy target In any case, it’s important to be aware of the risk and to have a plan in place in case you are attacked.

Sometimes it is very difficult to know that an attack of this type is being suffered, even if the website is down. And it is that the crash of the server can be due to many other causes that have nothing to do with a DDoS attack. It is important to pay special attention to the time that the service is down If the problem lasts several days instead of occurring at a certain peak of time, the possibility of a denial of service attack must be considered .

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR IT INFRASTRUCTURE FROM DDOS ATTACKS?

If you’ve been the victim of a DDoS attack, you know how frustrating and overwhelming it can be Your website is inaccessible, your customers are angry, and you’re losing revenue by the minute. Luckily, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from these types of attacks in the future

Operating a web service without effective DDoS protection measures and hoping not to be seen as an attractive target by cybercriminals should be considered intentional negligence from an entrepreneur’s perspective This is why precautions must be taken to avoid damage in the event of an attack.

It is important to note that there is no single solution that can provide complete protection from the growing threats of DDoS attacks, but rather a combination of strategies and technologies must be used in order to reduce the risk

Let's discuss some best practices and common mitigation approaches among large enterprise customers

Content Distribution Network: Known as a CDN, the purpose of the Distribution Network is to prevent a DDoS attack by storing data on multiple servers around the world After all, if one server is overloaded, others will still be up and running.

Early detection: IT managers need to know the normal state of the systems (baseline) in order to immediately identify particular events. Regular automatic evaluations of the log files provide information on anomalies. Monitoring must also include an outside perspective: the availability of services outside the company must be monitored via the Internet.

Cloud-based firewall with scalable resources: The firewall should have sufficient resources and can be quickly provided with additional blocking rules in the event of an attack A cloud-based Managed Firewall is a good solution for this. By filtering traffic, they absorb certain DDoS attacks, yet they do not provide sufficient protection in general

Limit access: Access to your own web service can be restricted based on the sender’s IP All server requests from outside China or certain countries can for example be blocked if necessary. Furthermore, the allocation of rights should at all times be strictly respected for the entire network.

Emergency plan: An internal emergency plan providing for the worst scenario should be put in place. Responsible persons must be trained accordingly, know the necessary procedure and be able to promptly notify the relevant contacts (internal and external).

SIMPLE THINGS TO PROTECT THE NETWORK FROM DDOS ATTACK

Here are some basic things you can do to protect the network from a DDoS attack:

Change Default Password – The virus searches for default IP devices to take control, it is better to change the default password to avoid DDOS attacks.

Update your software – As the battle between cybercriminals and security experts continues, the need to stay up to date with the latest security updates and patches becomes more important. Pay attention to the latest updates and make it part of the routine to stay on top.

Control remote management –Disable remote management protocol, such as telnet or HTTP, which provides control from another location. The recommended secure remote administration protocols are via SSH or HTTPS.

There are two main things you should do in order to be prepared for a DDoS attack. First, you need to test your protection system The only way to see if it will work in the case of a real attack is to test it. Second, you need to create a plan. Think about how your team will act in the case of an attack. Think about what steps you will take and how you will communicate with customers. You also need to know how your protection system works, and have a backup plan in case it will not be enough.