VOL -01, ISSUE-08, 2020
www.insightssuccess.com
Graham Parker CEO
GRAVITY SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS
Ensuring Seamless end-to-end Supply Chain Visibility & Execution
EDITOR’S DESK
Digital Supply Chain: Transformation From Physical to Cyber
T
o date, managing the supply chain from beginning to end has been like traveling to two superhighways interrupted by a long stretch of dirt road. Industries today are too slow, or at least when compared with the latest technology, they are less agile compared to what these technologies can make them. Persisting industrial production is inexible and also expensive. However, this is going to change and its thanks to Industry 4.0. The pace of change happening in industries due to this industrial revolution is very fanatic. Starting with digitization and automation, aided by technologies like big data, AI, ML, robotics and other technologies, none of the segment of the business is being left untouched.
Where or how does supply chain fit into this complex jigsaw of Industry 4.0? Supply chain management stands to benefit tremendously from going digital. We are already in the middle of this industrial revolution. This industrial revolution has heralded an era wherein manufacturing will become smarter and more intelligent and thus leading to a connected supply chain process. A few recent studies conducted states that a connected and digital supply chain can help companies reduce cost by 30%, reduce lost sales opportunities by 60 percent, and the inventory requirements can be reduced by 70 percent. All of this is followed by making companies faster, more agile, granular, accurate, and efficient. Let us further dig in and see how digitization makes the supply chain more efficient. It has already been discussed how supply chain management today lacks transparency and accuracy. The worldwide supply chain involves thousands of suppliers operating within the supply chain ecosystem of a company. Hence, it is crucial to have end-to-end transparency and real-time asset tracking. This is where digitization comes handy. Upon digitization, companies can easily and in realtime track the entire supply chain process. The biggest advantage of anything going online is interconnection and collaboration. Hence, to speak about the wonders of a fully integrated, digital supply chain software - it will allow information to flow seamlessly between manufacturers, suppliers, and customers. This new formed shared platform will break silos and transform planning into a continuous process. As a result, stakeholders can carry out supply chain-related activities together to not only save costs but to share best practices and learn from each other. With Industry 4.0, the supply chain gets integrated into production, distribution and even managing, which will be the basis of interconnected enterprises and ‘intelligent’ supply chain. This future, ‘thinking’ supply chain will effortlessly learn to recognize risks and eliminate gaps before it happens. They will continuously evolve and learn
to handle exceptions without the need of any human involvement, except in any unforeseen risks, wherein human intervention is required to determine the next course of action or upgrade the supply chain process. However, one thing is certain that the data-backed supply chain process will also allow enterprises big or small to reach the superlative level operational effectiveness and help in achieving significant cost reductions. Recognizing how some of the supply chain vendors are adapting to new technologies and the wave of Industry 4.0 to help enterprises offer seamless services, made us introduce this edition. Here in, The 2020’s Most Innovative SCM Solution Providers, we have handpicked few companies that has adapted innovative techniques to bring agility in business. Featured on the cover is Gravity Supply Chain Solutions Limited. It is a cloud-based, real time visibility and execution platform spanning the entire critical path from pre-purchase order. The edition also feature companies like, Freightgate Inc, Intelligent Audit, GEP, ODYN, FLS Transportation, Demand Solutions, BLG LOGISTICS GROUP, Kenan Advantage Group, and Elemica. While flipping the pages, make it a note to read the article penned by our editors. The article will give a detailed insight into the emerging trends in supply chain and how it can be beneficial to companies.
10
COVER STORY
GRAVITY SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS Ensuring Seamless end-to-end Supply Chain Visibility & Execution
22 Expert’s Column Challenges and Risks in adopting Digital Disruption
Article
36
28 Tech-Talk Top 5 Email Security Threats
#SCM Emerging Trends of Supply Chain Management, 2020
GEP-Building a DataDriven Supply Chain Key Enablers and Success Drivers
18 Crowdz Accelerating the Supply Chain
26 Freightgate Inc 2020's Most Innovative SCM Solution Provider
32 Intelligent Audit Offering Smart Solutions for Smart Logistics
SurePromise A Bridge Linking Business to Global Leagues
34
C O N T E N T S
16
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Anish Miller Managing Editor Crescent Cu Publishing Control Team Rahul, Shruti Quality Assurance Team Abhishaj, Darshan, Sneha Contributing Editor Shreevarshita Gupta Visualiser David King Art & Design Head Amol Kamble Art & Design Assistant Savita Pandav Co-designer Paul Belin Art & Picture Editor Shweta Ambilwade Business Development Manager Sherin Rodricks Marketing Manager Mary D'souza Business Development Executives Karen, Anna, Sapna Sales Executives Jenny, Michael, Kelly Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Amar Sawant Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Uma, Manoj Research Analyst Eric Smith Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com
January, 2020 Corporate Ofď€ ce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com
Follow us on :
www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/
www.twitter.com/insightssuccess
We are also available on : RNI No.: MAHENG/2018/75953 Copyright Š 2020 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
Global Subscription $250.00
$130.00
$70.00
$25.00
1 Year
6 Months
3 Months
1 Month
(12 Issues)
(06 Issues)
(03 Issues)
(01 Issue)
Stay in touch.
Subscribe to Insightssuccess Get Insightssuccess Magazine in print, & digital on www.insightssuccess.com
“
Choose E xc e l l e n t, Choose Insights
Graham Parker CEO
COVER STORY
GRAVITY SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS Ensuring Seamless end-to-end Supply Chain Visibility & Execution
Gravity is a cloud-based, real time visibility and execution platform spanning the entire critical path from pre-purchase order, and all the key milestones through to distribution centers anywhere in the world. It enables users to execute throughout the process on one platform. Gravity connects and digitizes all the parties involved throughout the journey; it acquires and fills the data voids created by legacy systems that are not connected, or where data doesn’t exist. Gravity’s suite of modular apps is intuitive, agile, and exceptionally user friendly, and provides clients with the required information in no more than three clicks. The company starts with the users in mind and then builds backward, rather than the more common approach of beginning with tech and then building forward. Gravity has an active team of supply chain experts who have worked within the industry for a long time, either as logistics providers and/or shippers. It realizes that users not only want to see what's happening but can understand and act with absolute certainty with the scenarios presented to them. Delivering Agile Services and Solutions Gravity primarily focuses on providing the best supply chain services to the clients. Our services capture data to visualize and execute from sourcing, manufacturing,
“We connect
and digitize all parties involved in the supply chain
“
I
n today’s age of technological advancements and cut-throat competition in the business arena, companies are in need of efficient service providers, who can ease complicated procedures. The same is the case of the leading supply chain solution providers. They provide the best services in terms of highly optimized inventory management, flexibility, and speed with order fulfillment, customization, energy sustainability, and compliance. One such renowned name in the supply chain arena is Gravity Supply Chain Solutions Limited.
transport, risk, inventory and location, with big data analytics & reporting. It offers shippers and logistics companies the option to choose from a full suite of apps. Customers can choose from a standard shipment tracker consolidated view through to full, end-to-end Purchase Order Management solutions with or without use of the sourcing app. A vast amount of predictive technology built into platform ensures that when a risk becomes apparent, clients are not only made aware, but are assisted in making decisions with certainty in real time. Exceptional Leadership Gravity is making rapid strides towards excellence under the visionary leadership of Graham Parker, the CEO. With over three decades of work experience in the supply chain industry, he also has the experience of working at a global 3PL, and a leading UK retailer, managing both domestic and international supply chains across multichannel routes to market. He also spent a considerable period within buying and sourcing
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE Solution Providers
operations and found this incredibly useful when evolving processes and logistics changes to meet the ever-changing consumer demands. Efficient Teamwork for better Results The company believes that people are key to any business. Mr. Parker states,“the team that builds, markets, sells, and delivers our products are the most important people”. Gravity engages teams of people within the various departments and ensures they are fully accountable and involved in the way it builds and promotes the platform. It also provides employees the option of working from home, which keeps them motivated and involved. Mr. Parker states that it is a tough market to be in as good tech and product people are in high demand. However, he is happy to see the employees happy and excited by the company’s approach and direction. “The team helps set the rules, so they are fully engaged from the start. I believe this is a critical aspect of any business nowadays,” adds Mr. Parker. Industry Perspective The company is of the opinion that the market is completely underserved. It believes that many new digital platforms/businesses are coming onto its radar, as well as the many legacy systems still being sold and used. The team believes that in order to create a compelling platform, it is essential to understand the complexities involved in supply chains. Additionally, the client has to identify and create the perfect solution to expand their business in the digital world. Staying ahead of the Competition Gravity Supply Chain conducts significant amounts of research and maintains social media posts, newsletters, and regular client updates. It focuses on digitization,
traceability, ethics, and sustainability. It believes that the process of digitizing is essential to remain relevant. “Everyone has their own views within these areas, so we listen, learn, and take note of not only what is in the news and social media, but also what our customers are saying”, states Mr Parker. The company believes in listening to the customers, so alongside its road map, it asks them to vote on ‘what next?’. This intelligence enables it to build and deploy solutions as a priority and ensures that the customers are getting what is critical within the market. Towards an Exciting Future Marching forward, the company has developed a solid and aggressive five-year plan and road map. It fully intends to expand on its existing core functionality to bring more data and connectivity to the customers. The company is already looking at “Prescriptive Analytics” ready for businesses to become autonomous.
We Provide “users with total visibility and the ability to
execute on one
platform
“
SCM
User-Friendly Interface • An agile, transparent, and exceptionally user-friendly interface • Clear and organized tile structures • Customized boards get easily created with our simple drag and drop feature. Deep dive into the intricacies of your supply chain with just a few clicks.
• Gravity’s activity feed allows for the clean and organized display of mission-critical data from thousands of sources. • Real time alerts from not only internal but also external sources, Activity feed notifications on both desktop and mobile make sure that you have access and visibility of your supply chain anytime, anywhere.
• Gravity’s communication center makes collaboration effortless and straightforward. • An enhanced message feed ensures that all stakeholders in the supply chain can communicate and share information seamlessly. • Messaging is not restricted to the platform; you can send outbound messages to non-Gravity users. The communication center enables you to brainstorm ideas, problem-solve, and share insights to achieve a truly cooperative working environment.
• Gravity’s new Goods In Transit (GIT) board is a zero-click view of your entire supply chain – all your goods in one place. • On-demand data refreshing allows for real time visibility of your goods throughout the critical path. • Advanced planning capabilities highlight potential risks and notify you of possible delays so that you can act quickly and swiftly. • GIT captures your entire supply chain network
Key Enablers and Success Drivers
A
company’s supply chain is a complex ecosystem involving many different entities that have to work together to achieve the common goal of successful, timely delivery of an order or service. It can empower businesses and make them thrive. However, because of new technologies and capabilities, and changing customer demands and expectations, the landscape is shifting dramatically, and businesses are finding it necessary to reinvent their supply chains to keep up. Transforming from a traditional into a digital supply chain is important as it empowers businesses to exploit the opportunities that new technology presents. The next-gen supply chain must be an agile entity that detects, responds and adapts to fast-changing scenarios and volatile markets swiftly – not just to avoid delays and losses, but also to enhance customer experience and gain that competitive edge. To transform the supply chain into a digital entity, a fundamental necessity is real-time data that is reliable, visible and accessible to all parties. The agility and flexibility of a supply chain will be determined by how efficiently it uses data, and the most successful supply chains of the future will be the ones that are data-driven.
Eric Wilson General Manager
16
Everyone has data – a supply chain produces large amounts of it from multiple sources, courtesy computing advances and digital technologies – but that’s no guarantee of success. Disparate applications and tools, best-in-class though they may be, cannot provide a holistic, integrated view of this data that is critical to getting actionable insights.To build a digital, data-driven supply chain, enterprises must adopt a unified supply chain management platform that gives “a
January 2020
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE
SCM
Solution Providers
As the supply chain gets more complex and more global, predictive analytics is becoming an important tool for supply chain managers. Predictive analytics, used on large data sets, helps establish credible patterns and make forecasts with greater precision, a valuable tool for supply chain planning, especially in volatile market conditions. The number of supply chain professionals using predictive A data lake can address the challenges of storage, access and analytics is on the rise – a survey in the annual MHI Industry uniformity. A data lake is a central repository on the cloud that Report stated that 30% said they use predictive analytics in stores huge volumes of current and historical raw, uncleansed 2019, compared with 17% in 2017. Of the 260 supply chain leaders Gartner surveyed in late 2017, 96% said they use data. A data lake can help enterprises harness the large predictive analytics. volumes of data generated by the digital supply chain – from ERP systems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, third-party systems – as well as ensure that all involved parties are using Real-time data, in conjunction with AI and predictive analytics, can be utilized to create a digital supply chain the same data. twin, or a part of it, to simulate situations based on which the impact of plans, strategies and decisions can be tested. The supply chain platform should be on the cloud, if enterprises want to unlock the full potential of digital Be it predictive analytics, RPA, or digital twin, new technologies. It is the most effective way to share real-time technologies need large volumes of data to produce credible data and make it accessible to all partners – be it the internal results. Data is the fuel for the next-gen supply chain, as well finance team, suppliers or logistics providers – from as its yield, and enterprises must adopt digital technologies to anywhere, anytime and from any device. A cloud-native generate, store and analyze data. The ultimate aim is to use platform is also a more secure, cost-effective, scalable and data to optimize the supply chain, which will translate into low-maintenance solution. Enterprises are increasingly recognizing the value of such an investment: the cloud supply business success and growth. chain management market size is estimated to grow from $3.26 billion in 2016 to $8.07 billion by 2021, at a Compound About GEP Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.8% during the GEP helps global enterprises operate more efficiently and forecast period. effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability, and maximize business and shareholder value. It’s easier to leverage the AI capabilities of unified supply chain platforms when all the data is on the cloud. The Fresh thinking, innovative products, unrivaled domain and technologies that power today’s supply chain software can subject expertise, and smart, passionate people — this is how exploit large, ever-increasing volumes of data, extracting its GEP creates and delivers unified procurement software and value and refining it. An AI-powered, cloud-native platform supply chain solutions of unprecedented scale, power and can automate various processes, analyze data – real-time and historical – rapidly and offer critical insights that facilitate the effectiveness. decision-making process and drive innovation. To learn more about our comprehensive range of software and services, please visit www.gep.com Its components — machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA) and natural language processing (NLP) — can enhance data quality and harness the power of intelligent automation, thereby reducing repetitive, manual labor, speeding up processes, cutting down errors and improving efficiency. Gartner predicts that by 2023, at least 50% of large global companies will be using AI, advanced analytics and IoT in supply chain operations. The global market for AI in supply chain is expected to exceed $10 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 40% in the period from 2018-24. single version of the truth” – a software that provides end-toend visibility, standardizes processes, consolidates operations, seamlessly interacts with other systems and delivers real-time data. A system that connects all supply chain partners and stakeholders to the same platform and provides everyone access to the same data sets.
January 2020
17
Accelerating the Supply Chain and the settlement of financial transfers. • Efficiency. The use of these same, highly manual techniques imposes huge inefficiencies on global supply-chain operations. Today, in the nearly $25 trillion global B2B commerce market, these inefficiencies result in at least $4 trillion in lost sales and added costs—each year.
Payson Johnston CEO & Co-founder
• Financial performance. With supply chains, SMEs typically must sell their products on a delayed-payment basis via invoicing, which can result in delays in payments to SMEs of up to 120 days or more. Without steady, ongoing cashflow, many of these SMEs can’t survive, and up to half ultimately cease operating, causing supply-chain interruptions, lost sales, and frequent costly searches for alternative suppliers. The Role of Supply Chain Financing
C
rowdz, a pioneering Silicon Valley startup, builds digitized, blockchain-based supply-chain networks designed to enhance the speed, efficiency, and financial performance of global supply chains. In the process, Crowdz also facilitates the selling of invoices and purchase orders, allowing small & midsize enterprises (SMEs)—which account for more than 70% of the participants in global supply chains—to get paid earlier than they otherwise would in order to keep the cash flowing at the best rates possible.
The last of these three challenges bears emphasis. The most common answer to the financial difficulties just described is supply-chain financing (SCF). With SCF, banks or other investors purchase SMEs’ invoices, giving the SMEs cash for their invoices almost immediately, less a discount on. Later, the SMEs reimburse the funding entity when their customers pay. The potential global market for SCF is immense, estimated at $9 trillion. Despite the potential, however, only a small minority of SMEs now benefit from SCF because:
The Supply Chain Challenge From the start, Crowdz recognized that global supply chains currently face three major challenges: • Speed. More than two decades after the emergence of the Internet and ecommerce, 77% of global supply-chain transactions continue to be executed via antiquated, highly manual means, such as paper catalogs, paper forms, sales representatives, fax transmissions, email, electronic data interchange (EDI), and so on. The use of these methods can cause delays of days, weeks, or even months in the processing of orders 18
• Only a few of the enterprise-headed supply chains that SMEs belong to provide SCF financing. • Banks usually buy invoices only valued at $500K+, which shuts out most lower-invoice-value SMEs. • When SMEs do have access to SCF, the rates are punishingly high (~4-6%/month, or 45%+ annually). • Newer peer-to-peer networks are limited by the fact that they must buy invoices on a one-off basis and then need to individually match funders to invoice sellers—practices that are not well-suited to enterprise supply chains, which demand more consistency and predictability. January 2020
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE
SCM
Solution Providers
The Crowdz Solution
‘‘
Crowdz solves the supply chain’s operational and financing challenges by creating automated, fully digitized supply chains. The Crowdz solution is unique among contemporary supplychain financing (SCF) applications, which consist largely of standalone financing vehicles. Crowdz, by contrast, is an entire supply-chain ecosystem, which brings product buyers and sellers as well as invoice buyers and sellers together onto the most efficient global supply-chain platform ever created, as follows: • Crowdz fully digitizes the B2B buy/sell process via automated supply-chain product marketplaces that use artificial intelligence and advanced search technologies to accelerate the buying and selling of products, matching buyers to the most suitable sellers, while originating riskrated invoices and purchase orders that are pre-configured for investor financing. • Crowdz digitizes the invoices and other paperwork that flow from this buy/sell process, then places them on the Ethereum blockchain, where they are consolidated, transformed into digital smart contracts, and instantly transported to and from all transacting parties. • Crowdz then automatically posts fundable invoices on the Crowdz invoice-auction exchange, where banks and other investors can bid on risk-rated (and ultimately packaged) invoices and purchase orders, enabling suppliers to receive instant, discounted cash payments for the value of their receivables. Techstars and Barclays Each year, Barclays—one of the world’s pre-eminent financial institutions—works with a number of innovative startups during its London-based Accelerator program powered by Techstars. The 13-week journey that begins each February gives some of the world’s most cutting-edge financialtechnology (fintech) firms access to Barclays’ 328 years of financial expertise. It’s a collaborative process in which brilliant ideas can become problem-solving innovations with mass-market appeal. The company that Barclaycard Payment Solutions sponsored during its most recent Accelerator is Crowdz. First and foremost, Barclays points out, Crowdz’s online product marketplaces connect businesses seamlessly and digitally—moving the entire procurement process online. The Crowdz solution also makes it much easier to find suppliers and to sell to other businesses. And, as part of this process, documents are digitized and placed on the Ethereum blockchain, meaning that transactions that used to take months can happen in milliseconds—the ultimate acceleration of the supply chain.
January 2020
Sale more, sale faster, with Crowdz. THE IDEAL LEADER FOR THIS CHALLENGE
Payson Johnston is the CEO and Co-founder of Crowdz. With 20 years’ senior-level supply-chain management experience, he served most recently as Senior Manager for Global Supplier Management for Cisco, the global networking giant. Among other responsibilities in this position, he developed and drove the commodity strategies for five global supply chains. He also designed one of the first-ever online supply-chain management systems, which is still in use today. More recently, he oversaw the creation of the first-ever blockchain-based supply-chain marketplace for processed raw materials. Payson worked at the University of San Francisco as an Adjunct Professor and, recently, as an Instructor at the University of California, Berkeley Extension on the topics of sustainability and ethics, supply chains, risk management, and marketing channels. Payson holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco and an MA from the University of Nottingham.
19
ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Cahn is Global VP of Marketing for Elemica, the leading provider of a Digital Supply Network for process manufacturers.
David Cahn Global VP of Marketing Elemica
22
January 2020
Expert’s Column
CHALLENGES & RISKS IN ADOPTING
DIGITAL DISRUPTION T
echnological innovation is happening at a faster rate than ever before, causing digital disruptions for many businesses. A digital disruption is a transformation that is caused by emerging digital technologies and business models. These innovative new technologies and models can impact the value of existing products and services offered in the industry, actually disrupting the current market and causing businesses to reevaluate their competitive advantage. Ignoring digital disruptions can impact businesses. Remember Polaroid? The company led the market with its cameras that created instant pictures. Yet in 2001, the Polaroid Corporation filed for federal bankruptcy protection because the company failed to make the smooth transition from analog to digital cameras. The corporation decided to bet on their past innovations and, as a result, lost to companies who jumped on the digital bandwagon. By keeping abreast of changes in demand, businesses can follow the trends and adjust their strategies to embrace these changes, which will help them to thrive and grow profits. Today’s digital disruptors are companies like Amazon and Uber, who use technologies to out maneuver the competition and build growth. Disruptors can be startup companies or long-established businesses. A wait-and-see attitude will not give a business sufficient time to make a comeback when the disruptor begins to dominate the industry.
January 2020
Companies must continuously reinvent their business using digital disruptive technology or watch from the sidelines while they lose market share. Yet, many businesses still struggle with acceptance, and others don’t know where to start the journey. Accepting Digital Disruption Digital disruption is fueled by next generation technology, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, the Internet of Things and software-enabled platforms that tie all these technologies together. C-level executives understand that any industry can be profoundly affected by digital disruption and no one can afford to ignore the threat. In other words, digital disruption rewrites the rules of business.
Digital disruption begins with acceptance of digital transformation using digital technologies within operations and ecosystems. Today’s technology allows all business stakeholders to share a single network, connecting and collaborating on supply chain operations from one end of the enterprise to the other. Each trading partner has access to information generated through the network in order to gain visibility to all aspects of production, procurement, transportation and distribution. With the proper information, executives can make qualified decisions that drive improvements in the business. Accepting digital disruptions within the enterprise means the business is no longer worried by the disruption and
23
instead leverages strategic planning and technologies to drive the business. Disruption is accepted into the culture of the organization so innovation is a day-to-day experience. Instead of concern, the business will be better able to sense and respond to changes in demand and disruptions to mitigate any risk.
automate sell-side and buy-side transactions. A second technique is through some type of portal for order capture and invoicing for inter-business automation. Finally, some leading DSNs provide email as a simple onboarding method to digitize an inter-business process without requiring supply chain partners to have any integration software.
Often a business has to decide whether to respond to the digital disruption or not. While it is not conducive to ignore the disruption, businesses may not always have to respond. Instead, the business can complement the disruption by adding value to it. An example would be to create technologies that augment the disruption, such as software (added value) for an iPhone (disruptor).
Benefits of Digital Disruptions
Beginning a Digital Transformation Journey To start the journey, management needs to design a strategy for digital transformation that involves people, processes and partners. The strategy should be broken down into process steps that contain material, information and people flow. Each employee knows that the product moves from process A to process B in a specific quantity, at a specific time, to a specific location. Because of digital technologies, people have visibility into what is happening with each step, giving them the ability to uncover bottlenecks that can cause delays or poor product quality. Today’s technology allows all stakeholders to share a single network, connecting and collaborating on supply chain activities from one end of the enterprise to the other. Each trading partner has access to information generated through the network in order to gain visibility to all aspects of production, procurement, transportation and distribution. With the proper information, executives can make qualified decisions that drive improvements in the business. Digital Supply Networks (DSN) are part of a digital transformation journey, providing a technology foundation for improving inter-business processes, expanding supply chain relationships, increasing revenues and reducing operating costs. DSNs create greater opportunities by integrating suppliers, customers, and logistics service providers in various ways depending on the level of interbusiness processes that are performing. One method is to connect via ERP-to-ERP integrations with high-volume suppliers and customers to streamline and
24
Digital transformation helps customers know where their “stuff” is at all times, similar to the conveniences derived from mobile apps, where a taxi is ordered and the route visualized on the phone screen. Emerging next-gen end-toend visibility applications in concert with a network of interconnected buyers, suppliers and logistics providers are enabling companies to lower working capital and operating expenses, mitigate risk and improve customer satisfaction by breaking down silos within the organization. With digital transformation, the supply chain is now a completely integrated ecosystem accessible by all stakeholders. With end-to-end visibility as the key driver for an effective supply chain improvement strategy, businesses must rely on building more collaborative relationships across their network of trading partners. Gaining end-to-end visibility across transportation processes can deliver 6% or more in transportation savings, remove the equivalent of 15 people from operating costs by improving productivity, and reduce the Cash-to-Cash cycle by 4 days or more. Digital systems gather data, which can be used for predictive analytics and machine learning to continually improve the organization. More informed decisions can be made by management. Disruptions from digital technologies can reshape markets and help with launching new products or services for less cost. With a digital transformation in the supply chain, silos dissolve and every part of the ecosystem has full visibility to what is happening from end-to-end. Supply and demand signals can travel through the network uninhibited, alerting the appropriate parties to low levels of raw materials or inventory, or seasonal spikes in demand. Because trading partners get this information in real time through the digital supply network, they can react accordingly. Digital disruptions from digital transformations will results into huge gains in customer satisfaction, profits and efficiencies.
January 2020
2020's Most Innovative SCM Solution Provider Logistics Cloud has reliable components that are designed to empower clients to take control of their supply chain processes. The Freightgate Logistics Cloud helps Importers, Exporters and LSPs with multi-modal & multi-factor optimized routing, quote management, supply chain collaboration, workflows & visibility, interactive online sailing schedules, regulatory compliance, automated e-invoice audit and more. Freightgate is a part of the SuiteCloud Developer Network and has official Integrated Built for NetSuite applications. Freightgate is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has received many industry accolades including consistently being named an Inbound Logistics Top 100 IT provider. Martin Hubert Founder and CEO
T
he Digital Transformation wave in business has turned the world into one big marketplace. Customers in one corner of the world can view and purchase goods from the other without hassle. While the digital connectivity has grown by leaps and bounds, ground-level connectivity needs to match up for the businesses to deliver their wares to the end customer. Businesses today are looking for integrated logistics solutions that work across all modes and facilitates easy tracking. Delivering digital transformation and exceptional value to Importers, Exporters and LSPs alike, by offering the most flexible, highly configurable and modular cloud platform, is Freightgate Inc. With an impressive history and proven track record of innovation, the Freightgate team strives in creating solutions that help its customers generate exponential returns. Always a Pioneer From Leading Carbon Emission calculations that Freightgate introduced over a decade ago, over zero-touch dispatch solutions for TMS automation to the first fully vertical integrated Total Visibility Solution, The Freightgate 26
Unmatched Leadership Freightgate Founder and CEO, Martin Hubert has more than 30 years of experience in providing IT solutions to the logistics industry. He began his career in 1994, by founding a company that focused on providing track and trace capability over the internet through establishing EDI capabilities with carriers. He then founded Freightgate in 2000 with a vision to improve the IT environment for logistics companies and shippers. His core value is the passion for innovation and neverending improvements. He strives to provide innovative logistics solutions, fostering global collaboration and productivity, while building a highly configurable platform with a global-by-design philosophy. Martin seeks to deploy technology to find smarter ways to solve today's and tomorrow’s supply chain challenges. Technology: The Opportunities and Hurdles Deploying and adapting to ever-changing technology is a tedious yet necessary task. Martin has never shied away from utilizing technology to provide the best to Freightgate’s clients. In the current scenario, the opportunities with IoT and AI are to reduce the impact of delays in shipments before they become major disruptions and have severe economic consequences. AI can also be used in supply chain planning, looking for ways to improve the supply chain processes overall. To tackle the challenges January 2020
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE
SCM
Solution Providers
‘‘
It gives us distinct pleasure when we can jointly solve supply chain puzzles and help make the world a better place
with IoT he made an investment into a Tracking Manufacture which now makes Freightgate the only 100% vertically integrated Global End-to End Visibility Platform. One of the challenges with AI is the need for vast data sets – Freightgate’s long history in the hosted supply-chain technology field uniquely affords them with rich historical data far beyond what is available to many competitors. And naturally the team is constantly seeking out new ways to apply emerging technology to deliver exponential value to its customers. Empowering the end-user to orchestrate the various puzzle pieces flexibly yet intuitive is never as easy as it sounds. Moving ahead with a Workforce that’s Diverse and Efficient Freightgate hires diverse, multi-cultural workforces, with logistics industry experience. The company culture is that of free speech and respect. Having a professional team of “out-ofthe-box” thinkers that has in-depth experience in orchestrating solutions on top of its global-by-design platform sets it apart from the rest. That, paired with the desire to leverage the best expertise all of its employees and extended team members. The management encourages an open-door policy and ensures that one can directly address the right person if one has any questions. “Every employee is invited to bring possible improvements and show stoppers to the table. Our customers know that and prefer this solution-oriented thinking,”adds the team. The team also shares the future plan as “We envision a bright future helping our customers improve their supply chain and leverage the solutions we have worked so hard for decades to put together.”
OUTSTANDING SERVICES DELIGHTED CLIENTS “As partners with Freightgate for over 20 years; Support for product development, systems analysis, problem resolutions and follow up as well as system innovations. OUTSTANDING! I’m confident we and Freightgate will to remain partners for years to come.” - Gartner Peer Insights Review “Implementing the Freightgate TMS has been a seamless integration, from initial configuration to final implementation and production; the team at Freightgate has been consummate professionals and BDP’s customers stand to reap the benefits of this great partnership.” - BDP International Press Release “We view Freightgate as a strategic technology partner…they are an integral part of our GLOBE initiative – a distinction that no other outsourced IT provider shares… net result of a relationship with Freightgate is a competitive advantage in the market place.” - Nestle Waters North America
January 2020
27
Emerging Trends of
Supply Chain Management, 2020
A
business goes through various operations to manufacture a product or deliver a service.
Operations like communication, transportation, manufacturing, etc. are part of the daily activities of an organization. Processes like these are a part of the supply chain management or SCM. All the processes that transform raw material to ďŹ nal products and the management of the ow of goods and services is supply chain management.
28
January 2020
#SCM
January 2020
29
Supply chain management centrally controls or links production, shipment and distribution of a product.
responsiveness. It envisions a way of creating paperless systems. It helps to cope up with the digital world.
Managing the supply chain helps the companies cut excess costs incurred during the production. It also allows the product to be delivered to the consumers faster. To achieve this, a tighter control over inventories, internal production, sales, distribution, etc. is kept. It helps improve the supply chain performance.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Many companies are turning to Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning to simplify tasks and automate procedures. AI is algorithm that makes computers to act like humans. Machine learning takes AI one step further and allows the computer to enhance the algorithms for better results. These algorithms are used to improve planning and decision support systems, manage inventory and automate tedious warehouse processes.
The supply chain trends are affected by various external factors like, the economy, consumer expectations, technological advancements, etc. Now, these factors also are being considered during the management of the supply chain. At the same time, next-gen delivery, logistics management, etc. are making global supply chain solutions smarter, faster and sustainable. Here are a few trends to watch for in 2020. Green Logistics Environment sustainability has become the need of the hour. The push for environmental sustainability is putting pressure on the supply chain managers. Every link of the supply chain management like material selection, product design, product delivery, etc. can include green supply chain practices. Simple practices like efficient lighting in the warehouse or planning delivery routes to minimize fuel consumption, can be considered for a start. The logistics companies are integrating sustainability efforts into their overall strategy to keep the environment green and eliminate pollution. This trend is known as ‘Green Logistics’. Cloud Based Technology With the globalization of businesses, there is a need for cloud based technology. The supply chains are expanding across borders for which cloud computing is required. Cloud based services reduce operating costs and benefit SMBs as they need not invest in expensive technology infrastructure. The best part of it is that it is accessible from anywhere at any time. Avenues of communication are kept open online as all the information is available over the internet. It is helping businesses grow and compete while cutting costs in the supply chain. Digitization Technological advancements keep taking place every now and then. Implementing these in the supply chain will always continue to be a priority for companies. The goal of digitization is to create transparency and enhance 30
Many corporations have already started using AI. Amazon is one such company which uses AI to track the products that consumers’ like or buy. Based on this information the customers are suggested similar products they might like. AI helps plan and provide analysis on large data sets. It allows companies to stay one step ahead. Automation and Robotics Automation is used to manage workflow and fasten processes. Many companies are turning to robotics to accelerate labour intensive work. Tasks like counting, sorting, carrying products, etc. are repetitive in a warehouse which can be done by robots. Amazon has introduced small amounts of these robots into fulfillment centers. These robots help transport inventory pallets from one place to another to create efficiency in the supply chain. Companies are now using the softwares like, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) as a part of digitization. These tools still require little manual labour, however now software add-ons will automate a few tasks to minimize mistakes and increase productivity. The emerging trends of supply chain for 2020 focus on the new opportunities that technology is bringing in. These trends are opening up opportunities for the small and medium scale businesses too. The focus on AI, technology and advanced analysis existed in 2019 as well. At the moment, the focus is shifting to sustainability and minimizing wastage. The supply chain will be helping businesses to cut costs and stay competitive at the same time. In order to keep up with the upcoming changes in the SCM industry, corporations will benefit by adopting SCM software solutions. By implementing strong systems now, the business will be able to deal with the future challenges and shortcomings without difficulty. - Shreevarshita Gupta January 2020
Offering Smart Solutions for Smart Logistics Payment provider is focused on reducing transportation costs through automated audit and freight recovery, business intelligence, and contract negotiation solutions. Blend of Business Intelligence & Supply Chain IA is a technology leader in parcel and freight audit, business intelligence, and spend optimization. Its proprietary technology, paired with its team of strategic account managers, provides an unrivaled ability to uncover opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement.
Hannah Testani COO
A
new industrial era has dawned, and the technologies have yet again paved the way for industrialists to innovate further. In today’s market, not only is change happening quickly but, it is also forcing businesses to transform quickly. There is now a constant flow of innovation, disruption, that is moving us ahead, even faster than we ever imagined. However, the shift that companies are going through is not just about adopting new generation technologies. The customer expectations and market dynamics have also changed resulting in creating a competitive and disruptive business environment.
Hence, to thrive, companies must transform how they operate. An agile organization allows a company to increase the pace of execution, better respond to customer needs, increase productivity, and even empower employees. With an intention to offer effective solutions to prevent any setbacks, to bring agility in business and achieve superlative outcomes, many companies are coming forward with best-in-class services and solutions. Intelligent Audit (IA) is one such service provider. This Freight Audit and 32
IA’s cloud-based solution addresses logistics pain points using data-driven analytics and reporting to analyze, benchmark, optimize, and help shippers gain critical insights into their global transportation networks. With bestin-class audit and reporting technology, clients see are able to leverage their data to reduce costs, enhance real-time visibility, and improve the end-customer experience. “With more than 2,500 clients representing over $12 billion in annual transportation spend, Intelligent Audit prides itself on providing clients with the tools and insights to help them ship smarter,” says Hannah Testani, the COO of Intelligent Audit. Automated and Efficient Solutions Ia’s continued goal is to provide clients with an unrivaled ability to uncover opportunities for cost reduction and strategic logistics and supply chain improvements. Some of the solutions offered by IA include: Freight Audit and Recovery: Conducts systematic audits across all modes and regions with more than 150 audit touchpoints and a true contractual audit. Its proprietary technology automates issue identification, claims submission, and recovery. Business Intelligence & Analytics: Acting as an extension to the analyst team, IA helps in achieving real-time visibility to all global transportation activity in IA’s proprietary cloud-based reporting portal. Leverage normalized data to track performance, identify inefficiencies, and prescribe solutions. January 2020
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE
SCM
Solution Providers
Spend Optimization: The experts at IA determine optimal carrier/service mix based on business objectives. Utilize ‘big data’ to benchmark against like-shippers. They also develop a roadmap for network optimization strategies, such as zone skipping or footprint redistribution. Financial Reporting: IA manages complex GL coding and cost allocation by geography, business unit – even SKU. Provide detailed accruals to track all unbilled carrier activity. The model landed costs and compare them to budget forecasts. Bank-backed Freight Payment: IA streamlines carrier payment processes to remove the administrative burden of remittance to numerous counter parties with the security and backing of Triumph Bancorp (Nasdaq: TBK), a leader in carrier payment technology and supply chain financing. Proactive Advisory Services: Dedicated strategic account advisors of IA proactively analyze your data, identify issues, uncover opportunities for savings, and act as an extension of your team to help you implement industry best practices. Review on Future It has already been established that IA is the pioneer in automating the audit and recovery process. However, though IA is currently leading the market, the supply chain market will become even more complex. Hence, it becomes clearer that shippers need access to quick actionable data that allows them to make meaningful operational changes with tangible costs surrounding them. Therefore, it is IA’s continued goal to develop innovative analytic intelligence to drive efficiencies and optimize its client’s global supply chain processes. “We have always viewed ourselves as a technology company that aims to help shippers become smarter We never dreamed we would have grown to the size we are today, where we have multiple Fortune 100 customers and continue growing annually,” says Hannah. “Our impacts on customers continue to fuel our growth and get us excited about all the opportunities on a global basis. With offices now all over the world, we see ourselves as becoming the dominant player not just in the US, but in the world,” she concludes. January 2020
A Business Partner and Unmatched Client Base “Intelligent Audit has been an exceptional partner in helping us maintain and grow the logistics and operational side of our business. If you are looking for a transportation savings partner, whether for audit, recovery or freight payment, look no further. You will see results, and your business will thank you,” -Don LaFrance, 1-800 Flowers VP of Logistics and Supply Chain “Fast and flexible, Intelligent Audit has been an incredibly nimble partner in response to the structural changes in our Supply Chain,” – Blake M. Whicker MSC/Microsoft Global Logistics Manager “Intelligent Audit’s analytics tools were exactly what we needed to not only test our thesis that we needed to expand our store network, but it also helped us understand how to do so in the most efficient and scalable way possible,” – Christopher Fall. Manager, Omni-Channel Fulfillment PetCo
33
A Bridge Linking Business to Global Leagues Stellar Services SurePromise’s full-stack e-commerce solution will aggregate big data to provide precise sales and logistics information that includes five main aspects: Big Data and Cloud-Based Analytics Solution: Using big data aggregating multiple types of data obtained from multiple e-commerce platforms, the supplier will be able to easily identify market trends and customer preferences whether current or future.
Angus Chan Founder & CEO
I
n a competitive market such as e-commerce, organizations aim to disrupt the traditional ideas of commerce by introducing innovative models. These models connect suppliers with the online sellers through innovative supply chain platform. SurePromise Limited is one such company which brings products globally through its unique solutions. With over ten years of experience, SurePromise’s marketplace specialists connect products with sellers in major e-commerce sites. SurePromise powers its operations in a real-time data analytics platform. It analyzes and optimizes every aspect of its clients business from shipping routes to product prices, that too with the surgical precision. The firm’s flexible omni-channel retailing platform allows selling of products across different marketplaces. The state-of-the-art system of the company ensures customer fulfilment and customers get their shipments on time at the lowest cost. SurePromise’s extensive experience with a variety of product categories informs its detailed quality control and packaging procedures that maximize customers’ satisfaction. 34
Sales and Marketing Tool: The suppliers aim to utilize this tool to recruit and manage a specialized sales team that is experienced and able to design multiple sales strategies for multiple audiences internationally. This tool would also allow for the brand creation, able to connect specific products with a specific audience based on both psychographic and demographic information gleaned from big data. Electronic Inventory Management System: This system would streamline the inventory management process and allow increased precision concerning globally inventory stocking. Enterprise Performance Management System: EPMS would also include a fully integrated CRM platform on which it will be able to connect with multiple online sellers worldwide. Logistics Management System: This tool is aimed to have the capabilities of automatically selecting the optimal logistics solutions for each individual shipment of the supplier’ products. Success Mantra: Building Relationships From the last decade, SurePromise has been amassing a solid reputation in the e-commerce industry. The key to success is the dedication towards the businesses that work with the company. The firm considers them partners, rather than simple clients. Company’s primary focus is to build a January 2020
2020'S MOST
INNOVATIVE
SCM
Solution Providers
relationship. This alliance has resulted in the development of a strong and loyal partner base. It has allowed the firm to expand beyond its original interests in traditional sourcing and retailing. SurePromise now provides e-commerce solutions designed to maximize revenue and minimize wastage for its partners. This has provided the company with a unique vantage point to reinvent itself, by capitalizing on the new wave of businesses entering e-commerce. Keeping it Short and Simple SurePromise simplifies the operations, by stating “Whatever your needs are, as a supplier, or as an online seller, SurePromise will be with you every step of the way, aligning your key strengths and existing capabilities with our powerful suite of services”. The firm cuts unnecessary steps in the supply chain and keeps inventory moving fast. Daily insights and adjustments maximize sales while preventing overselling. Consequently, both the suppliers and sellers can enjoy its first-rate analytics regarding the products to develop. For customer services that prefer localized attention, the firm’s multilingual customer service centre delivers an up-to-date and specialized help and advice in over eight major global languages to every customer’s delight. Harnessing the Disruption The firm splendidly differentiates opportunities from challenges. It aims to be adaptive to all the technological and operational changes. It also acknowledges the challenges related to the latest trends and opportunities. SurePromise is more engaged in the industry innovations that are on the rise. The corporation is flexible enough to move to a better position during the high demand. It knows storing and protecting data will aid in business running, even in ever-changing technological climate. Future Perspectives While efficiency has always been a key priority of businesses, the firm will improve its usual key of success. It will build relationships and will keep its stickiness high with user viscosity of suppliers and online sellers, which will reassure its positive cash flow. In the future, as standards, accuracy, and quality outputs are increasing, the company perceives tremendous scalability with no inventory constraints.
January 2020
‘‘
We transform e-commerce through technology to craft a more efficient global marketplace
THE VISIONARY WITH STYLISH WORK ETHICS Angus Chan, the Founder and CEO, established SurePromise as one of the first ever e-commerce supply chain platform. He founded the company when he was a college student in 2004. The notion was to ease the relationship between the manufacturer and online sellers. Since then, the firm has grown into a multimillion-dollar venture. He possesses a keen eye for future trends in business opportunities that have given SurePromise a distinct competitive advantage. Foreseeing the shift towards online shopping and position of China in the global supply chain, he has developed strong partnerships with manufacturers to build a solid B2B2C business model. Angus has led the diverse and international team at Sure Promise for over a decade now, inspiring employees and achieving growth through an open-minded yet results-driven management style.
35
Top
Email 5
Security Threats
early 95 percent of all successful attacks on enterprise networks targeted organization’s users through email. With the industry of cybersecurity evolving so rapidly, hackers are consistently changing their tactics, keeping it almost impossible to keep up with.
N
spreader modules. The negative consequences from an Emotet infection can be temporary or permanent loss of sensitive proprietary information, disruption of regular operations, financial losses incurred to restore systems and files, and potential harm to an organizations reputation.
With today’s growing security landscape, email threats are one of the most common strategies utilized by cyber criminals. What started off with spam emails sent to your junk folder, has evolved to a more robust tactic to deliver destructive content straight to your inbox. Here are the top five email security threats that we’ve seen so far this year:
Ursnif Banking Malware A new version of the infamous banking Trojan Ursnif made its appearance again earlier this year in June. This malware is well known in the cyber security community and was the most active malware code in the financial sector from the end of 2016 into early 2017. This malware is capable of stealing users’ credentials, credentials for local webmail, cloud storage, cryptocurrency exchange platforms and e-commerce sites.
Emotet Banking Trojan Emotet is an advanced, modular banking Trojan that primarily focuses as a downloader or dropper of other banking Trojans and continues to be among the most costly and destructive malware affecting governments, private and public sectors. Emotet can evade most signature-based detections, and because it is Virtual Machine aware, it generates false indicators when ran in a sandbox. Additionally, Emotet has several methods for maintaining persistence, including auto-start registry keys and services as well as Dynamic Link Libraries to continuously update and evolve its capabilities. Initial infection of this malware occurs when a user opens or clicks a malicious download link, PDF, or macro-enabled Microsoft Word document included in the malspam. Once downloaded, Emotet establishes persistence and attempts to propagate local networks through one of its incorporated
36
Once Ursnif infects a new machine it will attempt to spread to other users in the address book of the compromised email accounts. It tricks the victim into opening the malicious email because the message is presented as the reply to an existing conversation conducted by the victim in the past. For example, if you receive an email that was a replay to a previous conversation from a while back, you can look at the “To:” field in the email and see if it’s replied to a large number of unsuspecting users. Another feature about this malware is its ability to keep track of company names and title the malicious document “VICTIM_COMPANY_.doc” in order to look legitimate. Once the victim clicks enable macros, the second step of the infection process begins, which launches a malicious
January 2020
TECH-TALK script that downloads and executes a payload from a server controlled by the attackers. Once installed, Ursnif can operate without being noticed by both the user and the operating system. Extortion Campaign Extortion campaigns have been around for quite some time but there was one that was in full swing across the globe that used a clever twist to trick unsuspecting users into paying a ransom. The attacker for this extortion campaign claims to have installed malware on your system and has also used your webcam to record you watching porn. The attacker then goes on to threaten the release of this video to everyone in your contacts unless you pay the Bitcoin ransom. The basic premise of this type of extortion attempt has been around for quite some time, but the addition of the Username/Password combination in the subject line has unsuspecting users worried. While researching this campaign, Nuspire’s Security Analytics Team (SAT) came across multiple different counts of affected users claiming the Username/Password combination was something they had used eight years ago. In this case, the attacker has somewhat automated the attack to create a script that pulls directly from usernames and passwords of a given data breach that happened eight years ago. Therefore, every victim who had their password compromised as part of that breach, is now getting this same email at the address they used to sign up for the hacked website. Hopefully, if you were affected by that data breach you updated your username/password combination. Granted, the people who didn’t bother changing this information, this attack directly affects them, but rest assured this attacker doesn’t have a recording of you that they plan to send out to your contacts. It is merely scare tactics to make some easy money, and upon investigation of multiple Bitcoin addresses associated with this campaign, the attacker was indeed making easy money. This attack could evolve in the future and use more up to date data breaches which in turn could scare more users into paying the ransom, so be on the lookout.
Shawn Pope Cyber Security Engineer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shawn Pope is the Cyber Security Engineer of Nuspire Networks, a state-of-the-science managed network security provider for some of the largest and most distinctive companies around the world.
GandCrab Ransomware GandCrab holds the top spot in ransomware, partly because it’s used by the Magnitude botnet. Although GandCrab is usually spread via spam email, it has recently been distributed via compromised websites and is now
January 2020
37
appending the. KRAB extension to the encrypted files. Towards the end of April 2018 a campaign with the subject line “Your Order #{Random Digits}” was circulating. There is limited content in the body of the email and has an attached ZIP file which includes a Word document that contains malicious macros that download and execute GandCrab ransomware. GandCrab is under constant development where new versions are consistently being released at an aggressive pace. Its basic functionality is well document and does the same typical things ransomware does, including encrypting files with the. KRAB extension, changing the user’s background, and leveraging Tor for communications. One of the interesting elements of Gandcrab is its use of namecoin domains for Command and Control (C2) communication. These are easily identified by the .bit top level domain (TLD). Since attackers rely heavily on Tor and namecoin domains to help evade identification, it is a no brainer for them to use a decentralized DNS service that does not rely on central authority. This also increases the difficulty of having domains shut down and identifying those that are potentially behind them. Phishing By the end of Q2 2018 Microsoft had taken over the top spot from Facebook for the number one target of corporate phishing attacks. Reason being, it’s highly profitable for hackers to compromise an Office 365 account. Hackers see email-based attacks as an easy entry point into data, files, and contacts from other Office 365 apps, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Skype, Excel, and CRM. We see all different types of Phishing attempts from quite possibly the worst attempts to exact replicas of a legitimate Office 365 login page. Unfortunately, Phishing will always exist and can slip through the gaps in email filtering due to the fact that new domains/URLs are popping up every day 38
to host fake login pages. This is where user awareness training is extremely important. Educate your users, roll out training exercises where employees with fake Phishing emails and see who clicks on them and who doesn’t. Because Phishing has become so popular, education will pay off in the long run. Solutions Aside from training and educating employees on malware, and ransomware that might come in through a user’s email, there are a few other solutions to take into consideration that can prevent these attacks from entering your network. 1. Use antivirus programs with behavior and heuristic detection capabilities, with automatic updates of signatures and software on clients and servers. 2. Implement a spam filter to filter out known malspam indicators such as malicious subject lines, and block suspicious and blacklisted Ips. 3. Mark external emails with a banner denoting it is from an external source, this will assist users in detecting spoofed emails. 4. Implement a block policy for file attachments that are commonly associated with malware such as. dll, and .exe, and attachments that cannot be scanned by antivirus such a .zip files. 5. Implement Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), a validation system that minimizes spam email by detecting email spoofing using Domain Name System (DNS) records and digital signatures. 6. Implement a solution that can send the unknown/suspicious files to the sandbox for further investigation and analysis. 7. And most importantly employee training on social engineering and phishing. Urge employees not to open suspicious emails, click links contained in such emails, or post sensitive information online.
January 2020