Technology

Lightware leads Open API integration program with global players on a mission to simplify and enrich the user experience

Budapest, Hungary, 02 August 2022 – Lightware Visual Engineering announces the expansion of the company’s Integrations Partnership initiative with key global industry players. Complementing the announced relationship with Cisco last year, a rapidly growing list of integration partners is headed by ADI Icron, Utelogy Corporation and Xyte. The program, made possible through Lightware’s unique Open API capabilities, unlocks unprecedented creative opportunities for customers to design and build outstanding best-of-breed collaboration solutions.

Gergely Vida, CEO at Lightware Visual Engineering said, “Following years of successful co-operation with Cisco’s Webex Room Devices, Lightware is now expanding the full possibilities of its solutions via a number of major integration partners. Lightware’s devices offer seamless integration and allow users to bring simple and consistent controls into room applications, allowing them to expand, extend, and share signals easier than ever before.  Working together with other foresighted industry players we can provide a flexible, consistent, and fluent user experience across room types from conference rooms and video-conference rooms to smart classrooms and collaborative meeting spaces.”

Lightware + ADI Icron

Lightware’s unified communication powerhouse, Taurus UCX is a prime example of Lightware’s pioneering approach when it comes to USB-C solutions, and with the powerful combination of ADI Icron (part of Analog Devices), it is expanding the boundaries of USB signal extension.

Explains Vida, “The future of meeting room connectivity is USB, and Lightware has been developing its USB solutions to serve the growing demand for this. We are also leading the way when it comes to educating the global AV audience about the possibilities offered by USB, to simplify the transmission of audio, video, control and Ethernet signals made possible with USB-C. Since Icron is a market leader in USB technology and components it was a no-brainer to team with them to further our joint goal of simplifying signal management over USB.”

View the Lightware + ADI Icron video here

Lightware + Cisco

Lightware’s established status as a Cisco Solutions Plus partner is enriched by sharing API-capabilities for smooth integration of their respective devices. For example, Open APIs permit users to enhance Cisco Touch 10 and Room Navigator with additional buttons, widgets, and sliders from Lightware. Project-specific Lightware bundles can also be customized to optimize a Cisco Webex Room to fit any need, scope and budget.

“Lightware devices are found in hundreds of Cisco-powered meeting rooms all around the world serving a wide spectrum of operations,” says Vida. “Deeper integration allows users to bring simple and consistent controls into any Cisco room application, allowing them to expand, extend, and exchange signals easier than ever before. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and working together to drive the AV industry forward.”

Lightware + Utelogy Corporation

Utelogy is a leader in meeting room monitoring and management solutions and together with Lightware’s Open API, they take the transparency and visibility of meeting room equipment to a whole new level.

“Utelogy’s U-Automate solution allows users to easily monitor and troubleshoot their meeting room setups remotely,” comments Vida. “Based on the information provided by the Lightware device – all the way to the chipset level – they are able to identify and fix issues remotely that could otherwise jeopardize the clients’ operations by unnecessarily delaying meetings.”

View the Lightware + Utelogy video here

Lightware + Xyte

Xyte is a meeting room monitoring and management software provider with particular focus on cloud-based solutions as well as HaaS (Hardware-as-a-Service).

Vida says, “Xyte’s monitoring solutions provide real time information for their users so they always know what’s happening in their AV systems. This detailed information and data is retrieved directly from the Lightware devices deployed at the client’s venues and meeting rooms.”

View the Lightware + Xyte video here

AS Covid-19 measures relax, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published useful guidance on what organisations need to consider about the data they process. To ensure they were following government guidelines during the pandemic, businesses were required to retain additional information, such as contact details, for tracing purposes. Now, the ICO believes these emergency measures should be reviewed and organisations should ask themselves if the data they have collected is still necessary. Ruby Ashby, associate and solicitor in Nelsons’ expert dispute resolution team, discusses. 

The processes put in place by businesses to adhere to Covid-19 rules were done quickly and efficiently, in order to support the government’s ambitions to prevent the spread of the virus. While collecting personal data from employees was about keeping one another safe, as the risk appears to lessen, it’s important not to forget these processes were for a purpose. 

Taking into account the latest government guidance, organisations should now be reviewing their approach to ensure that it is still reasonable, fair, and proportionate to be collecting this data under the current circumstances. 

Therefore, business owners should be asking themselves: 

• Will continuing to collect the extra personal data help keep your workplace safe? 
• Do you still need to hold the data previously collected? 
• Could you achieve the same results without collecting personal data? 

Vaccination information 

During the pandemic, many businesses were collecting information regarding vaccines, such as employee vaccination status. The ICO has now stated that, in order to continue collecting vaccination data, you must be clear about what you are trying to achieve and how asking people for their vaccination status helps this. 

However, if you are processing vaccination data ‘just in case’ or if you can achieve your goal without collecting this specific data, it is unlikely that you will be able to justify your actions and the data shouldn’t be retained. 

To be able to lawfully process vaccination data, you need to identify a lawful basis for collecting the information. Previously, when it was a government requirement to do so, organisations could rely upon the legal obligation as a lawful basis. If, however, organisations still wish to process vaccination data, despite it no longer being a requirement to do so, they must rely upon one of the other lawful bases, which are set out in Article six of the UK GDPR. 

Furthermore, as vaccination data is classed as health data, it is considered to be special category data in accordance with Article nine of the UK GDPR. Therefore, you must identify an Article nine condition for the processing of the data, for example if the individual gives explicit consent to the processing of this data. 

Positive cases 

While the tide may be turning with Covid-19, people are still testing positive for the virus so there may still be data protection elements to consider when reporting this. It is important to know that data protection law does not prevent organisations from keeping their staff informed about potential or actual Covid-19 cases among colleagues, but wherever possible you should, however, avoid naming specific individuals. 

If you have any doubts about your obligations under UK GDPR, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible to avoid opening yourself, and your business, up to potential claims. 

For more information on data protection please visit: www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/business-agreements-contracts/data-protection-solicitor/ 

ENDS   

We have been recognized for our ability to execute and completeness of vision

29 July, London and Beijing – Laiye, the global leader in Intelligent Automation, has been recognized in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant® for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for the second consecutive year.

‘Gartner’s distinction solidifies our position as the intelligent choice for those customers looking for the kind of automation that can help their business get real results and achieve transformational goals’ said Guanchun Wang, Chairman and CEO of Laiye. ‘We are thrilled to see our vision and ability recognized, and look forward to delivering the results our customers need to navigate digital transformation.’

Laiye has met multiple key milestones in the past year, from announcing its expansion in EMEA, to a suite of new hires with top-tier experience, and completing its $160M Series C funding round led by HOPU Magnolia and VMS. It also published its Rise of Intelligent Automation handbook, providing much-needed guidance to businesses looking to get the most out of automation. In the space of six months, Laiye received endorsements in the form of partnerships with IAC and Microsoft, and opened a new R&D hub in Paris. In addition, Laiye has grown and improved its offering with the acquisition of Mindsay, the European Conversational AI company. Finally, in 2022 Laiye became the first RPA/IA provider to guarantee business results, with its Business Guarantee program which commits to refunding 100% of the license price if pre-agreed business outcomes are not met.

To learn more about the RPA market and why we believe Laiye’s recognition as a Niche Player represents an evolution, please download your complimentary copy of the Gartner report: https://marketing.laiye.com/Gartner-2022MQ-RPA

Gartner Disclaimer:
Gartner® and Magic Quadrant® are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Laiye
Founded in 2015, Laiye is a leading global company powering the future of Intelligent Automation with its wide-ranging IA software solutions. The company helps businesses solve their digital transformation challenges and scale their digital workforce. Laiye has a global team across the Americas, Europe, and APAC, working with enterprise customers in the insurance, communications, electric power, finance, retail, and healthcare industries to build end-to-end Intelligent Automation solutions. For more information, visit https://www.laiye.com/en/

Exclusive negotiations launched with the objective to create a benchmark prime contractor in digital services and critical systems for the defence & security, space and energy sectors

• Agreement aimed at acquiring, at the price of €11.50 per share, 16,033,492 ordinary shares representing a total of 65.26% of the share capital of CS GROUP, in addition to the 9.80% stake already held by Sopra Steria
• The acquisition in cash of these shares would lead to the filing by Sopra Steria of a simplified public tender offer with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers
• The tie-up between the two companies would give rise to a benchmark prime contractor in digital services and critical systems for the sensitive sectors of defence & security, space and energy, in particular nuclear power
• Stronger position in aeronautics and cybersecurity markets
• Confirmation of the Group’s solid positioning in digital sovereignty and trust
• Tie-up will strengthen verticals which, in light of the current geopolitical and energy situation, offer a strong growth outlook
• Transaction expected to boost earnings per share1 by 1.0% in the 1st year, and by 4.0% in the 2nd year (2024) taking into account synergies generated by the tie-up

28 July 2022, – Sopra Steria (Euronext Paris: SOP), a European tech leader, renowned for its consulting, digital services and software development, has announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring, at the price of €11.50 per share, all the CS GROUP shares held by the company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Yazid Sabeg, Chief Executive Officer Eric Blanc-Garin, and their joint holding company Duna & Cie, representing around 29.73% of the share capital of CS GROUP (“main block”). In parallel with this, CIRA Holding and founders of Novidy’s have granted Sopra Steria a commitment to sell all of the shares of CS GROUP that they own, i.e. approximately 29.15% and 6.38%, respectively, in the company’s share capital (“other blocks”), representing a total, including the acquisition of the “main block”, of 65.26% of the share capital of CS GROUP. This operation would bring the entire share capital held by Sopra Steria, when taking into account the 9.80% already owned, to 75.06% of the capital of CS GROUP.

The acquisition of these shares would lead to Sopra Steria filing a proposed simplified public tender offer (OPA simplifiée) with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers in Q1 2023. The transaction, for 100% of the share capital, would amount to €282.5 million2, without taking into account €3.2 million in net debt3. This tie-up would boost earnings per share by 1.0% in the first year (2023). In 2024, taking into account 70% of the commercial, operational and tax synergies, earnings enhancement would be 4.0%.

The Boards of Directors of Sopra Steria Group and CS GROUP, which have already been consulted, have each reacted unanimously in favour of this transaction, without prejudice to a review of the documentation of the public offer when it becomes available, and to the reasoned opinion to be formulated by the Board of Directors on the public tender offer after receiving the independent expert’s opinion in the event that the acquisition of the “main block” and the “other blocks” is completed. To this end, the Board of Directors of CS GROUP has set up a committee comprising Ms. Edwige Avice, Ms. Catherine Euvrard, Mr. Jean-Marc Georgin and Mr. Blaise Jaeger, which intends to propose the nomination of Finexsi as independent expert to attest to the fairness of the public offer.

Information and consultation procedures with the employee representative bodies of Sopra Steria and CS GROUP will be initiated.

Cyril Malargé, Chief Executive Officer of Sopra Steria Group, commented: “The tie-up between Sopra Steria and CS GROUP would create a benchmark player in digital services and engineering, a prime contractor for critical systems in the fields of defence & security, space, and nuclear energy. It would also strengthen our position in aeronautics and cybersecurity. Furthermore, it would confirm our positioning in digital sovereignty and trust supporting our major European public- and private-sector clients. Lastly, it would position us well in verticals which, in light of the geopolitical and energy situation, offer a very strong growth outlook over the coming years. With defence and aeronautics already among our top-performing businesses, CS GROUP’s skills and expertise would act as a powerful driver to accelerate the Group’s development. I’m delighted by this planned tie-up, which would help us offer our clients even more value, and am looking forward to welcoming CS GROUP’s employees to Sopra Steria Group, where I hope they will find attractive prospects if the transaction is completed.”

Eric Blanc-Garin, Chief Executive Officer of CS GROUP, commented: “CS GROUP supports its customers in highly sensitive sectors in the design and implementation of their critical systems, aiding them in conducting operations in the context of their most demanding missions in terms of availability and security. To this end, CS GROUP implements innovative and sovereign solutions. Our core business revolves around information and communication systems, focused on the operational challenges of our customers in the Defense & Security, Space, Aeronautics and Energy sectors, with high constraints in terms of cybersecurity and data recovery. This merger with Sopra Steria would be a formidable lever for accelerating our development strategy and would enable us to amplify the objectives of our Vision 2024 plan thanks to the synergies identified.”

 Creation of a benchmark player in the sensitive fields of defence & security, space and energy

For many years, Sopra Steria’s technological solutions and specific business lines have supported the armed forces and the administrations in charge of homeland security in many European countries. In 2021, the Group generated more than €500 million in revenue in this field. The tie-up between Sopra Steria and CS GROUP would substantially increase the Group’s presence and would create a powerful player with strategic connections to major manufacturers and with recognised expertise in systems of command and control, secure communications, logistics information and cyber defence. CS GROUP would also contribute its own high-tech solutions: counter-drone solutions, combat training systems, tactical data management, maritime surveillance and perimeter security, geo-information and image processing, data intelligence and AI, hardened operating systems and embedded secure systems, among others. These solutions are backed by cutting-edge R&D expertise, a vast network of connections to universities and research centres, and renowned industrial partners.

The acquisition of CS GROUP would also help forge in-depth expertise in space-related systems and applications, based in Europe. For over 40 years, CS GROUP, which is among the top European players in spatial computing, has taken an end-to-end approach to all the business lines involved in space systems, throughout their entire life cycle.

The tie-up between Sopra Steria and CS GROUP would also bring together key expertise in the energy field, particularly with regard to nuclear power. Sopra Steria’s capacity in consulting, digital transformation and PLM would be combined with CS GROUP’s expertise in technical and industrial computing as well as digital simulation and modelling.

With this tie-up, Sopra Steria confirms its robust positioning in digital sovereignty and trust for its European clients.

Bolstering the Group’s solutions in cybersecurity and the aeronautics market

 The acquisition of CS GROUP would also boost the Sopra Steria’s expansion in the critical and promising field of cybersecurity, based on a range of end-to-end, sovereign solutions. With the addition of more than 200 experts, the Group would bolster its position as one of France’s leading players in cybersecurity.

It would also bolster aeronautics, one of the Group’s most powerful verticals.

Expanded presence in high-growth vertical markets

Renewed international geopolitical tensions and the increased risk of conflict will lead many states, particularly in Europe, to scale up their investments in defence and security, not only on land, sea and air but also in space and the cybersphere. There will be a rapid surge of growth in these new global security priorities, particularly in light of the new communication capabilities that will be provided by upcoming satellite constellations. The interoperability and security of critical operational systems for exchanging vital real-time information will become increasingly essential.

In the current geopolitical context, energy independence is also becoming a growing priority. Combined with the need to transition to more sustainable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these priorities will boost investment in nuclear power. In France, for example, the new government would like to relaunch the country’s nuclear programme with the construction of 6 new EPRs.

Immediately earnings-enhancing transaction

Sopra Steria expects the transaction to boost earnings per share4 from the very first year (by 1.0% in 2023).

In 2024, taking into account 70% of the commercial, operational and tax synergies identified, the Group expects the transaction to boost earnings per share by 4.0%. These synergies are expected to take full effect in 2025 (20% in 2023, 70% in 2024 and 100% in 2025).

Commercial and operational synergies are estimated at more than €13 million on an annual basis. In addition, the tie-up between the two entities would make it possible to gradually use a significant portion of CS GROUP’s €364 million5 in tax losses carried forward.

Transaction features and schedule

The final agreement in respect of the acquisition of the “main block” and the fulfilment of commitments pertaining to the acquisition of the “other blocks” shall not be finalised until the procedures for informing and consulting with applicable employee representative bodies at CS GROUP and Sopra Steria have been completed.

Completion of the transactions with the “main block” and the “other blocks” remains subject to the customary consultations, and, in particular, requires prior regulatory approval both in France and abroad. It would be expected to close in Q1 2023.

The purchase price for the “main block” and the purchase price for the “other blocks”, which would be paid in full in cash, has been set at €11.50 per share.

Subject to completion of the acquisition of the “main block” and the “other blocks”, Sopra Steria would launch a public tender offer for the outstanding CS GROUP shares at the purchase price applicable to the “main block” and the “other blocks”, namely €11.50 per share, which would equate to a premium of 74.69% above the volume-weighted average price of CS GROUP shares over the month to 27 July 2022 and a premium of 68.57% above the volume-weighted average share price over the last 60 trading days.

The total amount of the transaction would come to €282.5 million6, before taking into account €3.2 million in net debt.

The proposed public tender offer would need to be filed in early Q1 2023, and would potentially be followed by a mandatory delisting (retrait obligatoire).

The transaction is expected to be finalised by the end of Q1 2023.

It should be noted that Sopra Steria already holds 9.80% of CS GROUP’s share capital to date.

Transaction financing

The transaction will be financed through cash and existing credit facilities.

Post-transaction EBITDA leverage8 at year-end 2022 would be around 1x.

Murray Campbell, CASS business consultant at automated-reconciliation firm AutoRek

More often than not, enhancing outdated processes in the back office is shunted down the list of priorities for firms in favour of front-facing updates and innovations that clients can see outright. 

But neglect the back office for too long and the cracks in the system will eventually start to surface, slowing down operations and ultimately impacting the efficiency with which firms are able to service their clients. And with the FCA’s new operational resilience guidelines now in play, asset management firms need to cut out avoidable scope for human errors and unnecessary vulnerabilities now or risk non-compliance.

Bother in the back office

At the heart of all back office simplification is the aim of reducing inefficiencies and giving busy teams time back to focus attention and efforts elsewhere, whether that be for client-facing work or investigating and troubleshooting problems within the system.

The nature of the asset management industry means that back officesare often made up of as many as four or five different teams, all performing different roles with different applications that require separate manual processes to translate activity across to other teams.

Part of this complexity is driven by the multiple and frequent mergers and acquisitions that asset managers have undergone as part of their growth strategies. In doing so, they have had to consolidate differing processes and change how they run the back office. Considering how time-stretched these teams often are, this has resulted in staff compounding processes to ensure they can still function.Not only is this an inefficient use of a team’s time but withevery additional step taken, the complexity of the process increases, as does the risk of human error.

Many asset management firms struggle to update processes because they are stuck in a closed loop where adding a new manual step is often the easiest way to update a process. Where firms have been around for a number of years and through many regulatory iterations, new actions for back office staff are often tacked on to existing processes to ensure compliance rather than overhauling the system entirely, which in the short term would be a much larger project.

On top of this, many back office teams are already under strain from staff shortages and therefore simply lack the capacity to take on a simplification project of this kind whilst executing their day-to-day role.

So, while adding a new step to an already complex manual process is often the quickest route to outcome, this gradually drives efficiency down and puts the back office team under unnecessary strain.

Taking advantage of technology

It’s essential that asset management firms approach updating the back office as a long-term investmentto future-proof business models, rather than a ‘nice to have’ project that can be kicked down the road for when budget and headcount allows. 

Automation should be introduced to back office process now, before anymanual processeshave broken down to the point of mishandling a client’s money or asset.Again, now the FCA has formalised its emphasis on operational resilience through new regulations, the onus is on firms to ensure they can continue to provide the important services relied upon by their clients.

Digital transformation has accelerated over the last few years and the capability of regulatory technology is more advanced than ever. Using technology to automate certain manual processes will allow asset managers to unlock the potential of the back office to service clients to a higher standard. In some cases, this can deliver immediate benefits to the client (through faster processing of dividends or enhancing protection of investments, for example). 

For many asset management firms, the back office has operated the same way for years – even decades – without running into many barriers. But this should by no means prevent the implementation of necessary simplifications now. As the pace of digital transformation continues to increase, it will be those firms that introduce automation into their processes before it is mandated by regulators that manage to keep pace with – and stay ahead of – the rate of change across the wider industry.  

New regulations require automation

Why should asset managers be thinking about simplifying the back office now? Following the market disruption of repeated lockdowns in 2020, operational resilience has quickly risen to the top of the agenda across the financial services sector. And so, what was an already complex regulatory landscape, now requires firms to identify all potential operational vulnerabilities and report how they plan to address them.What’s more, for firms operating cross-border businesses, the divergence between the EU and UK’s regimes will require firms to align new processes with two different sets of rules.

The key to managing all of this is for firms to outsource more activity to third parties that can take full responsibilityfor back office simplification. For many firms, the complexity surrounding this process is often the biggest barrier to the simplification of the back office and by outsourcing the entire process, businesses can implement automation in a strategic and efficient way.

Implementing automation is fundamentally about making the most of back office employees’ time and skillsets. The time gained in the automation of manual processes can be spent on activity that more actively contributes to business growth or to the direct servicing of clients. And as rates of digital transformation continue to accelerate, the need for faster, slicker client service will simultaneously continue to rise. As such, for asset management firms to remain competitive, automating now before it is necessitated – either by client need orregulatory demand – is crucial. 

-2.8 billion malware attacks (+11%) recorded in the first half of 2022, the first escalation of global malware volume in more than three years
-While ransomware volume shrunk 23% worldwide, Europe saw 63% increase
-Even in decline, year-to-date ransomware volume exceeded full-year totals of 2017, 2018 and 2019
-Financial sector saw cyberattacks climb drastically: malware up 100%, a 243% spike in ransomware, and a 269% increase in cryptojacking attempts
-45% increase in ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants, up 21x since SonicWall began tracking in 2018
-Encrypted threats, IoT malware increased 132% and 77% year-over-year, respectively.

MILPITAS, Calif. — July 26, 2022 — SonicWall, publisher of the world’s most quoted ransomware threat intelligence, today released the mid-year update to the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report. The newest report, researched and compiled by SonicWall Capture Labs, unveils an 11% increase in global malware, a 77% spike in IoT malware, a 132% rise in encrypted threats and a geographically-driven shift in ransomware volume as geopolitical strife impacts cybercriminal activity.

“In the cyber arms race, cybersecurity and geopolitics have always been inseparably linked, and in the last six months we have seen that play out across the cyber landscape,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner. “The cyber warfare battlefront has shifted, as our data indicates a 63% rise in ransomware in Europe and a concerted effort to target financial sector companies, while ransomware volume dropped in other regions. With major increases in encrypted threats, IoT malware, cryptojacking and new unknown variants, it’s critical that cybersecurity leaders have all the required tools and technology to proactively detect and remediate against increasingly sophisticated and targeted threats to their business.”

Ransomware Attacks in Europe Swell as Threat Landscape Shifts
After a record-breaking 2021, overall ransomware attacks have trended down in the first half of 2022, decreasing globally for the fourth consecutive quarter. Government sanctions, supply chain deficiencies, dropping cryptocurrency prices and limited availability of needed infrastructure are all making it more difficult for cybercriminals. Proprietary SonicWall threat intelligence reinforces that analysis, as June 2022 saw the lowest monthly ransomware volume in two years, which helped drive down overall global volume.

“As bad actors diversify their tactics, and look to expand their attack vectors, we expect global ransomware volume to climb — not only in the next six months, but in the years to come,” said Conner. “With so much turmoil in the geopolitical landscape, cybercrime is increasingly becoming more sophisticated and varying in the threats, tools, targets and locations.”

While global ransomware dipped to start the year, Europe saw significant increases in malware attacks (+29% year-over-year) and ransomware attempts (+63%). In terms of volume, seven of the top 11 countries targeted by ransomware were in Europe (United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Ukraine), suggesting a cyber threat climate shift for the region.

Malware Rebounds with 11% Global Spike
In 2021, malware volume was slightly down, marking a third-straight year of decrease as well as a seven-year low. However, as predicted in the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, a rebound was anticipated, due to a significant uptick in attacks during the second half of 2021. That rebound was felt as more than 2.8 billion malware attacks occurred within the first six months of 2022. In North America, encrypted threats were up an astounding 284% and IoT malware soared 228% within that same time frame.

Similar to shifting ransomware numbers, malware volume was level or dropped in typical hot spots like the United States (-1%), United Kingdom (-9%) and Germany (-13%), while rising collectively in Europe (29%) and Asia (32%).

“The international threat landscape is now seeing an active migration that is profoundly changing the challenges not only in Europe, but the United States as well,” said SonicWall expert on emerging threats Immanuel Chavoya. “Cybercriminals are working harder than ever to be ahead of the cybersecurity industry, and unlike many of the businesses they target, threat actors often have no shortage of skills, motivation, expertise and funding within their organizations.”

The financial sector combatted a 100% increase in malware attacks, a 243% hike in ransomware attempts and a staggering 269% in cryptojacking attempts.

Record Number of ‘Never-before-seen’ Malware Variants Discovered
SonicWall’s patented Real-Time Deep Memory InspectionTM (RTDMI) technology identified 270,228 never-before-seen malware variants during the first half of 2022 — a 45% increase year-to-date. The first quarter of 2022 marked a record-high in never-before-seen malware discoveries (147,851), with March 2022 being the most ever on record (59,259).

Since the introduction of RTDMI in early 2018, new variants discovered have skyrocketed 21x through June 2022. These are new and previously unknown cyberattacks that are going undetected by traditional sandbox approaches.

To explore the complete mid-year update to the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, please visit sonicwall.com/ThreatReport.

About SonicWall Capture Labs
SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers gather, analyze and vet cross-vector threat information from the SonicWall Capture Threat network, consisting of global devices and resources, including more than 1 million security sensors in nearly 215 countries and territories. SonicWall Capture Labs, which pioneered the use of artificial intelligence for threat research and protection over a decade ago, performs rigorous testing and evaluation on this data, establishes reputation scores for email senders and content, and identifies new threats in real-time.

About SonicWall
SonicWall delivers Boundless Cybersecurity for the hyper-distributed era in a work reality where everyone is remote, mobile and unsecure. SonicWall safeguards organizations mobilizing for their new business normal with seamless protection that stops the most evasive cyberattacks across boundless exposure points and increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled workforces. By knowing the unknown, providing real-time visibility and enabling breakthrough economics, SonicWall closes the cybersecurity business gap for enterprises, governments and SMBs worldwide. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

Tata Consultancy Services is Helping Boots Accelerate and Scale its Innovation Program to Drive Competitive Differentiation

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) and Boots, a leading UK health and beauty retailer, announce the launch of the new INNOVATE workspace, powered by TCS Pace™, at the Boots headquarters in Nottingham. The new workspace is aimed at nurturing a start-up culture within the organization, helping Boots to uncover opportunities to leverage emerging technology.

INNOVATE was designed in collaboration with TCS to be an agile incubator, combining creative space with top talent and emerging technology, powered by TCS Pace, the company’s proven framework for innovation at scale. The TCS Pace Innovation Architecture provides co-innovation mechanisms for creative problem solving through Pace Sprints, digital toolboxes to enhance collaboration and rapidly design new experiences, technology sandboxes to develop Proofs of Concept (PoCs), and a physical workspace that brings together all these enablers. Using Pace, TCS has been helping clients accelerate and scale their innovation programs to build competitive differentiation.

Dedicated teams of intrapreneurs will leverage the INNOVATE philosophy and workspace to work on ideas that will help to make the retailer’s business more efficient and lead the way for new innovations in the industry. Operating in a rapid test and learn model that enables PoCs to be developed in just weeks rather than months, the workspace is designed to help teach and develop new capabilities, such as UX design and product ownership.

K Ananth Krishnan, CTO, TCS, said: “INNOVATE, powered by TCS Pace, is a world class innovation hub that leverages our research and innovation ecosystem to help Boots become future-ready. TCS is happy to partner with Boots to systematically conceptualize, build and test new technology and business ideas, and drive transformation in agile, iterative cycles.”

Rich Corbridge, CIO, Boots, said: “We are excited to be opening our much-anticipated INNOVATE workspace in partnership with TCS. INNOVATE offers the chance to revolutionise the way we think about technology at Boots and push the boundaries of what we can achieve with agile thinking and a fearless test and learn approach.

“The opportunity to be creative, solve problems and be seamlessly connected with our tech partners is key to positioning Boots at the forefront of innovation in the industry. I can’t wait to see how my Tech at Boots team as well as wider team members take advantage of the INNOVATE philosophy, workspace and the incredible ideas that will be conceived and evolved here.”

The only fully automated Identity Service Provider (IDSP) to be certified in the UK ahead of real change in the new right-to-work regulations on Oct 1

21 July 2022, LONDON. Xydus, the company fixing identity for an expansive world, today announces its Identity Management platform, which supports ID verification & authentication services, has been certified to the government standards defined in the UK’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. Xydus is one of only a handful of accredited IDSPs currently available.

Coming into effect on October 1st, 2022, it will be a regulated operational requirement for all UK workplaces to carry out digital RTW checks via certified IDSPs. Manual checks continue to be permitted, but temporary emergency Covid rules allowing manual right-to-work checks to be conducted remotely using a video call will cease to be legal. Achieving certified IDSP status is therefore essential for any digital identity service provider that wants to support UK businesses beyond October 1.

Xydus CISO Jos Aussems said, “It’s incredibly humbling to see the team’s hard work recognised by the UK government, who invited Xydus to participate in its pilot accreditation scheme. We were very pleased to have been given the opportunity to be a voice at the table in the future direction and consideration for the Trust Framework. The new legislation will be essential in supporting remote workers and ‘the digital HQ’, ensuring seamless onboarding and offboarding of workers without the fear of penalties or fines.”

From October 1st 2022, all employers operating in the UK have to comply with the latest Right To Work legislation or face significant sanctions, fines and potential brand damage. For example, failing to comply can result in a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per non-compliant check, losing the ability to sponsor work visa applications for foreign nationals and even a criminal conviction in serious cases.

Xydus CEO Russell King added, “We built a platform to resolve today’s and tomorrow’s identity management challenges. We launched our Channel Partner programme with a singular focus on maximising client returns commercially and operationally while enabling resolution to organisations’ ongoing challenges in maintaining multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance.

Vialto Partners are consistently identified as the global leader in mobility, tax and immigration corporate advisory services. Collaborating with Vialto has enabled us to deliver a solution that meets the legal requirements of RTW on every user journey, irrespective of the employee work authorisation and identity-related documentation or status.”

Stephan Judge, Director of RTW at Vialto, commented: “We’re delighted our partnership with Xydus continues to go from strength to strength, and the government certification is a testament to the work we’ve done together. Our clients have consistently demonstrated that Xydus and its identity management platform delivers against their requirements and future objectives. Seeing our expertise contribute to a world-leading offering ahead of October’s legislation is truly exciting.

About IDSP certification

To achieve IDSP certification through the pilot scheme, companies must highlight the identity profile(s) their technology uses and the complexity of the evidence chain needed to achieve verification or authentication. This includes what information the digital identity solution needs to know, use and verify and how it then achieves this, such as through biometrics. The scheme breaks down this analysis into five areas; strength, verification, activity history, validity and fraud.

New data shows a continued surge in IT jobs across the UK, with volumes up by 55%, but with skills shortages rife the sector’s growth could be restricted. That’s according to recent research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

The data, provided by business intelligence specialist, Vacancysoft, also revealed that, when analysed by year, the monthly average for 2022 is 30% up on 2021, and this surge in IT vacancies looks set to continue in the months to come with the 2022 forecast set to see three times more postings than 2020.

By sector, technology companies are, unsurprisingly, the most active recruiters. Between January and May there were over 32,000 IT vacancies across the sector, accounting for 43% of all the IT positions advertised. Despite this, there are some concerns for the sector’s hiring in the coming months, as a flurry of tech companies have announced plans for redundancies including DAZN and Klarna.

Across the regions, London holds the largest share of IT vacancies, accounting for 46% of all IT jobs across England & Wales. Other regions worth mentioning include the South East, now responsible for 11% of all vacancies, as well as the North West with 7%. Notably, remote vacancies are on the rise and this option is now included in up to 11% of all advertised positions, up 9 percentage points on the pre-pandemic figures.

Ann Swain, CEO of APSCo, comments:

“The demand for IT experts spiked during the pandemic and we’ve witnessed a continuation of this trend for the year so far. While it’s certainly encouraging to see such demand for IT professionals, the UK’s dearth of talent is now critical and we are already seeing this impact the growth of tech companies at a time when they should be thriving. In response to this, recruitment professionals and businesses alike need to upskill existing staff, hire from wider talent pools to boost diversity and increase the number of women in IT. Doing so will be key in helping to narrow skill shortages.”

“While recruitment professionals and hiring teams will certainly be key players in helping the IT sector navigate skills shortages, a true recovery may only be possible when the UK’s policymakers implement an internationally viable approach to boosting the country’s access to skills. This includes creating an attractive entry route into the country for highly skilled self-employed professionals and refocusing international trade deals on skills, the workforce and the mutual recognition of services and professional qualifications.”