Cyber ​​security: 5 key predictions for 2021

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Cyber __security 5 key predictions for 2021

Cyber ​​security:  Security experts, a provider of cyber exposure solutions to reduce cybersecurity risks, give their predictions .The importance of Operational Technology, (OT) and 5G networks for cybersecurity. “Lateral attacks” have already gotten a foot in the door to IT in the past 24 months and are now spreading to operational technology (OT) networks.

Cyber ​​security- OT Attacks As Access To IT

In 2021, there will be more OT attacks on IT, made possible by the increasing convergence of IT and OT. Criminals target vulnerable OT environments to gain easier access to IT databases. One example is attacks that specifically compromise Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to access IT networks and assets such as customer databases.

We should also prepare criminals to attack OT infrastructures such as branch offices or branches of larger companies. These smaller locations are usually connected to the larger OT network – in the case of energy suppliers and regional power grids. The danger here: A successful attack on a branch or smaller energy supplier could have a cascading effect if the attack spreads.

Cybersecurity: 5G Networks As An Important Factor

In 2021, 5G mobile networks will be set up in cities around the world. Therefore, there will also be devices that are designed for the use of 5G. Companies are then faced with a security problem. It becomes even more difficult for them to discover all devices and ensure that compromised security cameras or smart speakers are not monitoring their employees.

Cyber ​​security: At the same time, IoT and IIoT devices are being created that only work with 5G – they no longer have to log into the local network. On the one hand, this eliminates the risk of an IoT device being used as a point of attack for the rest of the network. On the other hand, this makes it difficult for companies to recognize equipment in their digital infrastructure because their elevators, HAVC, video surveillance, and smart speakers are directly connected to the cloud via 5G.

The MITM attacks that allow cybercriminals to perform device fingerprinting, battery draining, or downgrading attacks are already known. For the future, an increasing number of new attack vectors is on the horizon because 5G is ready for use worldwide, and researchers are uncovering the implementation problems. Devices evolve along with mobile wireless systems. That is why it will be even more important in the future that the device’s security comes into focus.

Ransomware Attacks Continue To increase

By 2020 ransomware attacks may cause damage in the “real” world. As early as 2019, ransomware caused sensational reports about the affected companies. Of particular concern is the number of hospitals and healthcare providers affected. 

It’s easy to imagine a cyberattack affecting care and patient safety. A care provider who can no longer access their patient files because of a ransomware infection or other malware could be forced to carry out tests or medical measures only for critical cases. The number of ransomware cases will continue to increase in the coming year compared to 2020. This raises fears that bystanders may suffer physical damage.

Attackers Focus On Automotive Security

Cyber ​​security: Automotive security, in particular, is in the attacker’s crosshairs. This is also shown by the increase in incidents in cybersecurity that affected smart mobility. In 2020 alone, 175 incidents were registered worldwide. The main cause is unauthorized access or theft of vehicles using relay attacks on keys, spoofing, key jamming, or diagnostic hacks.

The number of these attacks is likely to increase further in the coming year. There are also new ways of attack, such as ransomware attacks against automotive components. This increases the use of third-party services built into the networked systems both internally and externally and increases the attack surface. Handling the complex mix of disclosure, visibility, and control properly play an important role in stopping these attacks.

The growing trend towards autonomous vehicles favors attacks on supporting systems, for example, sensors and their decision-making systems. Expect more reports of remote attacks on camera and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems and sensors. These systems provide the necessary monitoring for autonomous driving. Perhaps such attacks will take place in reality.

Cybersecurity: Securing IoT Devices Is Becoming Increasingly Important

securing IoT devices becomes more difficult to assign blame when it comes to securing IoT devices. According to the Statista Research Department, over 30 billion IoT devices will be networked with one another in 2022. IoT devices are growing exponentially but at the same time add risk and complexity because they permeate both personal and corporate networks.

In 2020, a variety of security cameras, printers, routers, and other devices were compromised. Usually, vendors develop these devices at a tight profit margin but with an even greater variety of obscure operating systems that may never experience a security update. Even worse: Many have existed longer in the networks than traditional computing devices – such as a network-compatible appliance. The introduction of the 5G network exacerbates this situation because there are more intelligent, networked devices and more attacks on these devices.

2022 will be the year of better IoT security, protecting customers and businesses alike from the threats to come. Manufacturers of IoT devices then experience growing pressure to include security in development from the very beginning. This also means that manufacturers who prioritize cybersecurity and privacy will gain a competitive advantage. 

ALSO READ: Protect Company Data: Six Measures For Secure Apps

Protect Company Data: Six Measures For Secure Apps

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Protect Company Data Six Measures For Secure Apps

Protect Company Data: Container apps enable employees to work productively on mobile devices. However, companies should take some measures. Containerization and strict separation from other apps on the device enable safe and productive work. This should be supplemented by measures such as encrypting company data, securing communication with backend systems, and jailbreak detection. Virtual Solution presents the six most important protective measures for the development and use of secure apps.

Protect Company Data: Encrypt Company Data Locally

All data within a secure app must be state-of-the-art, i.e., hybrid encryption with RSA up to 4,096 bits and AES-256, protected by a PIN, password, or fingerprint. Solutions that the BSI has explicitly tested and approved offer even greater security.

Encrypt Company Data In Transit

The encrypted data transmission ensures that sensitive information is transmitted securely over any network. Communication with a Microsoft Exchange server should only take place using TLS encryption. The S / MIME (Secure / Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) standard should also be used to transmit e-mails. This means that e-mails from the sender can be protected from access by third parties on all data paths and servers. With S / MIME, for example, the e-mail data traffic from IBM Domino can also be secured.

Protect Company Data With A Smart Card

By default, a secure app must be secured by a strong password, PIN, or fingerprint of the user. In the case of very high-security requirements, for example, in ​​authorities, it is advisable also to protect the data with a smart card. All asymmetric encryption operations are based on the private keys of the smart card. The private key and certificates are physically stored on the card and never leave it. This gives companies an additional level of security if the smartphone falls into the wrong hands.

Include Authentication Using Certificates

By activating certificate-based authentication, companies can protect access to sensitive systems – in addition to encryption. Administrators are thus able to configure access to the ActiveSync server or intranet applications optionally based on certificates. The container app and the server carry out a TLS handshake in which the communication partners authenticate each other and agree on the cryptographic algorithms to be used. After the TLS channel has been established, users can transmit data in encrypted form.

Define Comprehensive Rules For Secure Apps

It is important that administrators can control all security settings centrally. This includes user administration, group management, establishing various security rules for different groups, rules and default settings for encryption, password strength, and the administration of released interfaces. It is also essential to remotely delete all company-relevant data from the security container if the device is lost (remote reset).

Protect End Devices From Manipulation

To protect against the manipulation of end devices, functions should be implemented to detect misuse and prevent the use of the secure app in an emergency. An integrity check provides full control over versions of an app that users are allowed to use. Each version of the app can, for example, contain a “fingerprint” that can be used to identify the software uniquely. Functions for jailbreak detection recognize manipulated devices and – if necessary – block their use.

“An app containerization creates a separate area on a smartphone. All company data within this container is encrypted and explicitly separated from other apps on the device. No other app and no unauthorized person have access to the data in the container,”. “With Secure PIM from Virtual Solution, the company data in the container is isolated and password-protected. The container technology offers an easy-to-use solution with which employees can work flexibly and securely on mobile devices. “

ALSO READ: Security Threats: The Three Biggest Misconceptions About Threat Hunting

Security Threats: The Three Biggest Misconceptions About Threat Hunting

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Cybersecurity Important Predictions And Tips for 2021

Security Threats: Finding security threats is a human-led, machine-assisted task. To protect against cyber attacks, the goal is to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving security threats. Sophos believes that the practice of “threat hunting” is becoming increasingly important for monitoring and treating network activity, discovering unknown threats, and responding to them appropriately.

A complex process with numerous misconceptions associated with it. As a result, misleading and misunderstandings leave people with a false sense of security and unprotected organization. There are three common misconceptions in the security threat search debate:

Security Threats: Misconception Number 1: Threat Hunting Can Be Automated

The idea that the search for security threats can be automated is one of the biggest misapprehensions. Because while parts of the process can be automated, the human component is essential for any successful search for danger. The entire process cannot be automated (at least at this point) – from identifying hostile activities to reacting to them.

Even so, automation plays an important role in threat hunting, both in gathering data and discovering what is known. In an automated search, an activity can be flagged as suspicious by an automated rule. However, as soon as that happens, another instance is required to look at this notice and carry out a strategic analysis. A machine can indicate deviations, but it cannot make an intelligent decision about whether a movement is malignant or benign. There is a large gray area in which it is difficult for a well-trained model to come to a correct judgment. Human expertise is necessary.

Security Threats: Correct Classification Of An Action

If, for example, PsExec is active in the network, i.e., a Telnet replacement to execute processes on other systems via LAN, it is not immediately clear whether this action is harmful or harmless. First of all, it’s an administrator role that is meant for legitimate purposes. However, the malware also often uses it, and attackers try to implement something malicious.

But how does the user know whether he is stumbling across something bad or benign? Human expertise can provide the context in this case. For example, a colleague has access in the background with which this process is authorized – situations the machine cannot be aware of. Only with this additional information can it be determined whether an action is justified or possibly defective.

Misconception Number 2: EDR Solutions Support Threat Searches

The hunt for security threats and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) are not the same. If the user uses an EDR product, he does not automatically engage in threat hunting with it. EDR is based on a large data set that is used to determine or query information. While EDR is an important tool in finding hazards, it is only part of the whole process. There are many other sources of information that are extremely valuable, such as network traffic.

Hazard hunters look beyond EDR data, for example, at network protocols, firewalls, and intrusion reports, as well as prevention protocols to get a holistic picture of the environment. Including data from third-party sources, such as Microsoft’s Active Directory, Office 365 data, or other applications can enrich the data set. The larger this is, the easier it is to identify more complex threats.

Misconception # 3: Feed The SIEM With Data For Threat Hunting

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) offers a useful service because it represents an environment where a large amount of information can be accumulated and queried. But SIEM also has a big problem: it is hardly possible to keep the data consistent. And poor data quality rarely leads to good search results. The definition of quality data is often subjective. In essence, however, the point is that data from different systems are standardized and that data attributes (where possible) are standardized.

The quality of the data is crucial for the following reasons:

  1. It increases the productivity of a security threat search and makes it easier for the team to query large amounts of data and get consistent results.
  2. With standardized data attributes, it is avoided that different data records have to be merged during a search. At the same time, it provides a richer context for identifying more complex threats.
  3. A good understanding of the quality of the data enables the team to have clear objectives about what data they can analyze and what cannot be analyzed. This helps with the coordination and prioritization of projects.

High-quality data enables hunters to identify complex threats faster and more precisely and thus to react to them more effectively and efficiently.

The Key To A Successful Search For Danger

Data is just the beginning of a threat search. More important is how to use the data to identify the initial point of danger. Making data usable so that you can work with it cannot be automated by machines. Because if that were possible, MDR (Managed Detection and Response) would not even exist.

The following key components are part of a successful threat search: assessments of the threats, a suitable method, good data, and a critical look at suspicious activity. If suspicious activity appears in the gray area, threat hunters can decipher the intent with strategic analysis. Only then can a decision be made as to whether a reaction is necessary or not. 

ALSO READ: IT Security: Nine Important Predictions For 2021

IT Security: Nine Important Predictions For 2021

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IT Security Nine Important Predictions For 2021

Check Point Software Technologies gave an outlook on future developments in IT security. The focus is primarily on technical upheavals, such as compliance with data protection, 5G as new network technology, cloud computing, and accelerated processes through automation.

IT Security: Use Of Targeted Ransomware

In 2020, ransomware attacks were targeted against businesses, local authorities, and hospitals. Attackers spend a lot of time gathering information about their victims. The amount of ransom demanded increases accordingly. So effective have the attacks become that even the FBI has softened its stance on paying ransoms, recognizing that paying in some cases protects shareholders, employees, and customers.

Phishing Attacks Go Beyond Email Traffic

The email will remain the most common avenue of attack on corporate IT security, but cybercriminals are already using other methods to steal personal information, credentials, and even money. Phishing increasingly includes SMS attacks via mobile phones or messenger programs in social media and on gaming platforms.

Mobile Malware Attacks Are On The Rise

In the first half of 2020, mobile banking malware attacks increased by 50 percent compared to 2019. Such malware can steal payment details, access information and funds from victims’ bank accounts. New versions are even available on the Dark Net for distribution by anyone willing to pay the malware’s developers – similar to a franchising process. Phishing attacks against cell phones are also becoming more sophisticated and effective.

IT Security: The Rise Of Cyber ​​Insurance

Companies and public institutions are taking out more cyber insurance policies for IT security. Insurers continue to train policyholders to pay the ransom money as it can be cheaper than the cost of restoring the systems. This, in turn, will attract more attackers and lead to rapid growth in the cyber insurance industry.

IoT Devices Increase Security Risks

With the expansion of 5G networks, the use of IoT devices will accelerate dramatically. At the same time, the vulnerability of networks to large-scale, multi-vector Gen V cyberattacks will increase massively. IoT devices and their connections to data centers and clouds are a weak point: It is difficult to get an overview of all connected devices. In addition, their protection is complex. All companies must therefore develop a concept for IoT security that combines traditional and modern controls. Only then can these constantly growing networks in all industries and business areas be protected.

Increase In Personal Data Through 5G

The bandwidths that 5G enables will trigger an explosion of connected devices and sensors. So-called eHealth applications collect data on the well-being of users, networked car services monitor users’ movements, and smart city programs collect information on how citizens live. This ever-growing volume of personal data needs to be protected from injury and theft.

AI Accelerates Reactions To Cyber-Attacks

Most security solutions are based on detection models designed according to human logic. Artificial intelligence (AI) is needed to make them ready for the latest threats and keep them up to date with the latest technologies and devices. AI accelerates the process of identifying and responding to new threats. It also helps block attacks before they can spread. However, cybercriminals are starting to use the same techniques to scan networks effectively for vulnerabilities and develop malware to match.

Combine Protection With The Speed Of DevOps Teams

Companies already run most of their workloads in the cloud, but knowledge about securing the cloud remains low. The principle of shared responsibility has not yet fully entered the consciousness of those responsible. Security solutions must evolve into flexible, cloud-based architectures that combine scalable protection with the speed of DevOps teams.

Companies Are Rethinking Their Approach To The Cloud

With the increasing reliance on public cloud infrastructures, companies are at risk of failure. A good example was the operational disruption of the Google Cloud in March 2020. Companies have to rethink their existing data center and cloud concepts and consider hybrid environments of clouds and data centers. 

ALSO  READ: Browser Isolation: 3 Steps To Secure Business Internet Use

Browser Isolation: 3 Steps To Secure Business Internet Use

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Browser Isolation 3 Steps To Secure Business Internet Use

Browser Isolation: Employees use web browsers for many different tasks, but companies must expect that they will. Endpoint security solutions, and secure web gateways can block many avenues of attack, but not all. Browser isolation ensures that all internet activity takes place in a virtual environment in the data center. IT departments let hackers with browser isolation go nowhere. We would be delighted if you could use this non-exclusive article in whole or in part for editorial purposes – free of charge, of course. As always, we are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Browser Isolation: Protection Against Malicious Web Content

Whether cat videos, Facebook, webmail, online research or business applications: Employees use browsers for an endless number of activities, whether they are related to work or not. Companies have to expect a colleague to come across malicious or manipulated content or click carelessly. This is not even a problem if the infrastructure for it is set up properly. But if this malicious content is executed on the end device, the damage can be immense, and the attackers can enter the network.

Few administrators rightly trust the inherent security of web browsers and the associated plug-ins. At the same time, end users demand access to various internal and external web resources and love the convenience of the little add-on programs in the browser. Restricting access to this universe of content is, in many cases, unrealistic, but special protection is advisable. The group of people who urgently need it in the face of today’s threat landscape include board members and employees in the HR or finance department. Use scenarios that require special protection include the use of legacy applications and untrustworthy online sources and websites.

Organizations that are concerned about the security of their browsers can do something. The simple basic idea is to virtualize the browser, to decouple it from the end-user system completely and to protect the isolated environment with the latest options for securing virtual systems – even if an attack should be successful in the first step or malware could gain a foothold – it cannot escape from its cage and cause no harm.

Why Are Browsers Unsafe?

But first to the question of why browsers are so insecure. Couldn’t it just be made safe? The problem is that web browsers are designed to download very heterogeneous rich content and run some of it locally to render web pages and content. This content execution represents a risk because attackers exploit weaknesses in browsers and the extremely large variety of common plug-ins. This can lead to the compromise of the end device and the installation of ransomware or other malware.

Hackers can attack and spy on the neighboring infrastructure in the network. For example, APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats) prefer to use browsers as a gateway to infect organizations. This often happens through vulnerabilities in plug-ins such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader or Java.

Step 1: Protection Through Endpoint Security And Secure Web Gateways

Most companies use Endpoint Anti-Malware and Secure Web Gateways (SWG) to protect against browser-based attacks. They remain a necessary part of the security infrastructure. Today’s anti-malware searches for known and unknown malware, monitors processes, uses numerous other security mechanisms such as machine learning and fends off most attacks. But even the best solutions cannot prevent new, sophisticated approaches from sometimes slipping through the cracks. An example of this is the seemingly legitimate execution of a compromised program after identity theft.

Likewise, a Secure Web Gateway, which restricts surfing to known good web resources, is not a complete solution. Maintaining the list of legitimate resources is a hassle, even for a small business. Because the resources that end-users need are long and dynamic, even a trusted website can be compromised in several ways, turning a good resource into malicious in no time. Even using a hybrid approach, like URL Reputation, always remains reactive by definition.

Step 2: Protection Through Browser Isolation

A necessary second step is, therefore, the isolation of browsers (browser isolation). This means that the principle of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) is applied to the browser: Administrators have long been designing data centers in such a way that they isolate web-based resources, such as web servers, in the DMZ. More sensitive resources, such as application and database servers, are hosted in parts of the network that are not directly accessible from the outside.

Many companies use the same concept for web browsers: since browsers are outward-facing resources, they should be isolated from end-user devices. Application virtualization is a great way to move the epicenter of browser activity from endpoints to virtualized servers. Isolating the end-user browser from the web ensures that attackers cannot gain access to the infrastructure via the browser and cannot leave the execution environment of the virtualized browser.

Step 3: Protect Virtualized Browsers From The Hypervisor

Isolating a browser is a great second step in security. But just as administrators do not leave systems in the DMZ unprotected, the systems on which virtualized browsers run and the browsers themselves must also be protected. New approaches use the unique opportunity to secure virtual instances from the hypervisor.

This is no longer about looking for good or harmful elements, as with other security mechanisms. A browser environment protected in this way defends against attacks by observing attack techniques such as buffer overflow, code injection, and heap spray from the server’s main memory, which makes the browser available in a virtualized manner. These are the techniques with which many attacks begin and are recognized employing sophisticated technology directly in the raw memory and are stopped before execution.

Because the solution protects the virtual machine from the outside, the attacker cannot recognize it or defeat it. Without a client or other resources on the protected Virtual Apps servers, this security approach detects attack techniques that aim to exploit known, unknown and new types of vulnerabilities in web browsers and the associated plug-ins.

Citrix is ​​one of the providers of virtualized and, at the same time, user-friendly provision of browsers, whose products are used in many speaking companies. This company’s hypervisor was also the first to enable the use of the Hypervisor Introspection (HVI) developed by Bitdefender, thereby permitting completely secure browser isolation. With the combined approach of these technologies, browsers no longer offer any attack surface.

Browser Isolation: Let The Hacker Run Wild

Web browsers are one of the most important gateways for malware and hacker attacks. Endpoint Security and Secure Web Gateways block many avenues of attack, but not all. Browser isolation ensures that all browser activity takes place in a virtual environment in the data center. It can be protected with the most modern means, particularly with hypervisor introspection (HVI).

Such specially secured browser isolation is ideal for top management, finance and human resources, and high-risk resources and outdated browsers that have to remain in use to support legacy applications. If employees are tempted to click on a cute cat video again, that’s only a case for controlling, but it is no longer for IT security. Because the hacker runs into nowhere: There is nothing to be gained from where he is.

ALSO READ: DevSecOps: 7 Tips To Get You Started Quickly

DevSecOps: 7 Tips To Get You Started Quickly

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DevSecOps 7 Tips To Get You Started Quickly

DevSecOps: The buzzword Descopes is currently on everyone’s lips. The possibility of agile development and user safety. The ever-faster pace, at which teams develop new functions often leads to significant risk, namely poor security in web applications. By using the Descopes approach and continuously testing the software, developers can create secure web applications and minimize security deficiencies.

The constant improvement of this process enables development teams to achieve continuous security for their web applications. These advantages are convincing: More and more developers want to use Descopes and wonder how they should start with the integration. 

DevSecOps: Perform Dependency Check

Many developers use libraries in their applications. Your applications may be safe, but that doesn’t help if the dependencies used are vulnerable. That’s why developers have to check these for weaknesses as well. Tools suitable for this can be found for various programming languages.

Checking The Containers In Docker

Docker containers help to provide the code as quickly as possible. But here, too, developers should pay attention to security. Because the same thing that applies to your libraries also applies to Docker basic containers. Developers have to make sure that they only use trustworthy basic containers – such as the official Linux distributions or images of the programming languages ​​used – and check whether these already contain vulnerabilities. Some providers that host the built containers can do this verification for the developers.

DevSecOps: Do Not Use The Container As Root

The default account in most Docker containers is root. However, developers should not use this for security reasons. Instead, it’s worth creating a normal user account. This works with the following lines of code in the Docker file:

  • # Create user account app user
  • RUN add user –disabled-password –geckos “app user
  • # Switch to the app user account
  • USER app user

Conduct Security Peer Reviews

Regardless of how experienced developers are, chances are their code has security flaws. A simple way to check the code for security problems is to implement peer reviews – the checking of the code by other programmers – in the development processes. Peer reviews are a great tool for code quality.

Programmers can use another developer’s review to focus on security and avoid logical mistakes that can lead to problems. And even if the reviews show that there are no unresolved issues, programmers can continually learn more about safe programming by looking at the work of others.

The following steps are suitable as a guide for the code reviews:

  • Write code
  • Send code to the repository
  • Creation of a pull request
  • Have a colleague check the code
  • Use their feedback to improve their code (this can be repeated until both are satisfied)
  • Merging of the pull request and provision of the software
  • Don’t forget: what could go wrong?

Always Ask The Question: “What Could Go Wrong?”

Instead of relying only on quick successes, developers should always ask themselves the question, “What could go wrong?”. Is it bad authentication? A logical mistake? System overload? Because these thoughts during the implementation can ensure that the errors do not occur in the finished product. Developers can also add so-called “Evil User Stories” and “Abuse Cases” as ticket types in the Issue Tracking System to their normal “User Stories” or bugs to always ask themselves the question of what could go wrong.

DevSecOps: Perform Automated Security Tests

Software development without functional tests is hardly imaginable. The probability of correctly implementing all functions without tests is zero. Automated unit and integration tests support developers tremendously here. The same is also true for security tests. There are various alternatives for automated security tests:

Static code analyzers such as the open-source tool Sonarqube check the program code for security problems and technical legacy problems. Dynamic security scanners also check the running application for security gaps by automatically simulating an attacker. There are open-source tools such as OWASP ZAP and commercial providers such as Crashes Security. The security scanners must be integrated into the CI / CD build pipeline to test each release for security gaps automatically.

Responsible Disclosure Of Security Vulnerabilities

Of course, developers cannot always be 100 percent right either. That’s why they need the help of others. Creating and maintaining a bug bounty program is a lot of work, and not every programmer likes it when others hack their application all the time, even for a good cause. Creating a Responsible Vulnerability Disclosure Policy tells users who to contact in the event of a problem and asks them to report vulnerabilities instead of misusing or selling them.

Additional Tip: Create Your Infrastructure As Code

Seven tips are not enough for you? Ok, but this trip takes a little more effort: Programmers should create their infrastructure as code with tools like terraform as an additional layer of security. This enables them to create secure basic resources such as server instances with a good TLS configuration or pre configured firewalls. Developers can use the same security procedures as for their application code, for example, code reviews. 

ALSO READ: Business Agility: How Companies Overcome The Greatest Obstacles

Business Agility: How Companies Overcome The Greatest Obstacles

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Business Agility This Is How Companies Overcome The Greatest Obstacles

Business Agility: In many companies, digitization of all business areas is at the top of the to-do list. The IT service provider CGI. CGI sees the next logical – and necessary – step in utilizing the entire company, which was initiated by the introduction of agile software development. The well-known and proven methods from application development can help here, but they are not sufficient. Rather, the design and validation of business agility for the entire company require end-to-end change management. Several obstacles have to be overcome, resulting from the established corporate structure and the traditional behavior of the employees. Here are the three most important hurdles to be overcome in this redesign process:

Business Agility: Agile IT Alone Is Not Enough

It is not enough for business agility to set up agile workflows and process models within IT. The company’s skill can only be successful if all departments are involved in a holistic process in which all company areas that are involved in the realization of a product as part of the value chain work together in an agile manner. This applies, for example, to sales and marketing, development and portfolio management, and personnel and finance departments.

Sticking To Knowledge Silos

The application must be oriented beyond the conventional line organizations to the value chain and integrate all those involved. The aim should be to reduce bureaucracy and to rely on direct and cross-departmental cooperation. This is the only way to identify obstacles at an early stage and use synergies. Mutual isolation prevents the development of interconnectivity between teams and departments, which is necessary for close coordination along the value chain.

“Do Agile” Versus “Be Agile”

Agile frameworks and tools, such as process models such as Design Thinking, Scrum, or Kanban, are not sufficient for real business agility. Rather, it requires transparency in all departments, investments in the necessary tools and infrastructures, and a courageous, cooperative management style. But not only is management required but the teams are also challenged.

Agile product development requires the assumption of collective responsibility, the willingness to lifelong learning, and the development of T-shaped skills, i.e., understanding new technical skills beyond one’s area of ​​responsibility. This can be, for example, a sales employee who acquires in-depth knowledge of the CRM solution used to accelerate company processes. This enables cross-functional teams to interact better and optimize the value chain together.

Continuous Improvement Through Business Agility

“Companies must be aware that business agility is not a status that is finally reached at some point and on which they can then rest. Rather, continuous improvement is a core aspect of business agility. Leadership management is at the beginning of all legalization processes in the company,”. “Leadership has to exemplify agility. This is the only way to develop a culture of cooperation, responsibility, and error that gives employees the professional competence and emotional security to do so. “

Founded in 1976, the CGI Group is one of the largest independent IT and business process services providers. With 76,000 consultants and other experts worldwide, CGI offers a broad portfolio of services – from strategic IT and business consulting through system integration, managed IT and business process services, to intellectual property solutions. 

ALSO READ: B2B Sales: 5 Common Mistakes SMBs Make When Digitizing

B2B Sales: 5 Common Mistakes SMBs Make When Digitizing

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B2B Sales 5 Common Mistakes SMBs Make When Digitizing

B2B Sales: Digital trade and end customer sales have developed significantly in the corona pandemic. Sales to business customers. Unlike digital trade and end-customer sales, B2B sales to business customers often seem outdated. This is because, especially in medium-sized companies, digitization is primarily equated with technology. Customers and internal users are rarely the focus. 

Mistake 1: Employees Are Not Yet Ready For Changes Through B2B Sales

Many companies initiate changes before they have checked whether they are even ready for it. This often leads to an overload of one’s organization, the build-up of resistance within the team, and ultimately a significant delay in the project’s progress – or even failure. You don’t send an occasional athlete to Iron Man in Hawaii right away. Top athletes set themselves ambitious but also achievable goals. You train step by step to get better.

At companies, I have found time and again that management or a board of directors wants to turn the lever towards digitization completely overnight. This is understandable both economically and psychologically, but it is still often the wrong way to go. Instead, it is of crucial importance to check your degree of maturity and to set realistic goals and timelines on the basis—culture, processes, individual training. Depending on the degree of maturity, this is the first investment step in digitization. We are not developing new software.

Mistake 2: Digitization Is Only Seen As An Efficiency Gain

 Companies in the B2B environment with very high quality and sought-after products are often managed by engineers and business administrators, while marketing and sales play a subordinate role. That is why in most cases, the commercial level initiates the digitization process to save costs. But it is precisely such a one-dimensional alignment of digitization processes that tends to lead to falling income in the long term.

The criterion of service quality plays a role much less often than one would expect.” For this reason, B2B digitization initiatives are usually set up from the wrong perspective. Again and again, they lead past an additional customer benefit. There is no question that digital processes in B2B sales also create efficiencies. But you have to keep yourself in balance with the improved customer experience. I’ve seen a lot of projects where the CFO mindset was way too pronounced. There should have been a clear balance of internal interests in advance. Otherwise, customers tend to turn away in the long term.

Mistake 3: New Products Ignore Customer Needs

Too many companies think they already know what their customers need. But that is often not the case even with organizations that are close to their customers. Companies then use this knowledge to develop digital B2B platforms and processes that often ignore the needs of their customers. But then the money has already been spent, and the internal structures have been changed. The customer, as well as their own organization, has to live with it. This problem could have been avoided relatively easily.

Before starting a digitization project, customers should first be asked in a structured manner: Where would a digital process make your life easier? What additional service do you need that you may even be willing to spend more money on? In which areas do you see no need for change, or do you still prefer an analog solution? As is so often the case in life: if you ask, you get answers. Advance care usually doesn’t turn out well.

Mistake 4: Technology Commissioned – And The Finished Solution For B2B Sales Does Not Fit

A common procedure for implementing technical solutions that have been passed down for years is the following: After a project for B2B sales has been planned, the requirements are formulated, it is passed on to the technology – and the finished product is then accepted. But that doesn’t work anymore today. On the one hand, this is because the world does not know a standstill. On the other hand, because the solutions have to map increasingly complex processes. This means that in the planning phase, elementary points are not seen and thus forgotten. Even so, many companies today still operate with a very rigid model. And you have to make high investments to adapt your solution afterward.

Instead, technological development should no longer be decoupled from the requisitions. The recommendation: split the development of the solution into sub goals, constant feedback from the business side, immediate adaptation, and elimination of errors and problems during the development process. Tried and tested management tools such as Design Thinking or Scrum can help to redesign these processes.

Mistake 5: Customers Were Asked Once – And Had To Live With The Answers Afterward

What applies to involvement in technological development should also fundamentally apply to customers’ participation in the overall process. An initial survey regarding expectations and needs should not be an alibi for an insufficiently customer-centric solution in B2B sales. According to the motto: But you said in our investigation twelve months ago that this is what you wanted.

The world of customers is also constantly evolving. A few weeks after the survey, customers may suddenly see requirements completely differently because they see the situation differently. And that’s exactly why customers have to be constantly involved in the development of the technology and the processes behind it. Some companies think this will slow things down. And that’s true in many of the cases I’ve observed, by the way. However, it is a reasonable effort compared to the customer’s issues with a solution that they cannot or do not want to use. Then it often becomes really expensive, with increasing frustration on both sides. This should be avoided at all costs.

ALSO READ: Companies Get Through Crises – Informative Study Of Business Cycles

Companies Get Through Crises – Informative Study Of Business Cycles

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How Companies Get Through Crises Safely - Informative Study Of Business Cycles

Companies- Crisis management is not only important in the corona crisis. How companies get through crises safely. Times like these threaten the future of companies. But it is precisely crisis management, the behavior in crises, that decides who will be among the winners in the next upswing. Now you have to save – but intelligently! If you lose too much muscle mass and invest too little in the future, you will miss the next upswing. 

Companies- The Consequences Of Successful Crisis Management

How long will the corona crisis paralyze the global economy? And when the current turbulence is over, what supply and purchasing power will survive? Will the markets of tomorrow continue to function according to the old rules? Many managers are asking themselves many such questions of principle, and the resulting uncertainty is typical of a crisis. But experience shows: every crisis comes to an end again.

Anyone who has positioned themselves well in difficult economic times and operated successful crisis management will grow faster than the competition in the following years. Our study “Summiteers have proved this: Becoming winners in economic cycles”. In this context, we examined how industrial companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland coped with the consequences of the 2008/2009 financial crisis. The result: In the next ten years, the top performers achieved a stock return around 45 per cent higher than their competitors, who behaved hesitantly or incorrectly at the beginning of the recession.

What Makes Success

Overall, the study was able to divide the analyzed companies into four groups. During the last downturn, 44 per cent hesitated too much to take crisis measures and were subsequently only able to create below-average value . A further 20 per cent reacted with cost reductions and thus stabilized their EBIT margin. But in the long term, they also generated no value because they did not consistently apply the red pencil in the right places. At 18 per cent, the EBIT margin initially collapsed because it remained largely inactive.

Nevertheless, they succeeded in creating long-term value. On the other hand, just as many companies reacted quickly and correctly. They made margin-stabilizing cost reductions at key points and at the same time focused on their strategic growth areas, in which they continued to invest. This group of so-called “summiteers” succeeded in generating above-average value.

What can be deduced from these observations for your corporate strategy? At first, in the face of a crisis, operational issues seem to be in the foreground: Sales collapse while fixed costs remain. The management panics and then tries to steer the company out of the danger zone. In this situation, there is often no time to consider the consequences of all decisions carefully. But one thing unites the best: the winners acted early and courageously in the last downturn. In times of crisis, in particular, the course must be set for future growth.

On the other hand, typical losers in the crisis wait too long to cut costs, get into a liquidity crisis, and then overreact. A tough austerity program must now make up for what was previously wasted. The result: When the upswing starts after the crisis, the organization is often powerless, and the product range is still the same. And that can end up costing you market share.

Sharpen Your Profile

It is worth taking a closer look at the recipe for the success of the group of summiteers. You did not make any strategic mistakes in the past crisis. They managed their costs in an agile manner and had an action plan in the drawer that they immediately implemented. Intelligent cost programs make all the difference with these winners. In particular, new, future-oriented business areas and technologies are to be excluded from the cuts. Instead, strategic marginal areas may be repelled faster than planned. Difficult times also offer the opportunity to review your positioning and sharpen your company’s profile – these are aspects that are often overlooked as long as the business is going well.

The art of management, especially crisis management, will now define the core business precisely, possibly even redesign it. With the necessary cuts, it is important to cause the least possible damage. Top management needs absolute clarity about how the company’s financial resilience will look in the crisis and what financial leeway there is. Stress tests help with this.

Crisis Management Also Means: Communicating Correctly

However, success also – and especially in times of crisis – requires operational excellence. Companies that coped best with the last recession set up powerful and assertive project organizations in good time to implement the packages of measures in a targeted manner. Communication plays a central role in this. From downsizing to investment cuts – all of this unsettles the workforce. Anyone who manages to identify with the necessary measures despite the pressure to change has a fundamental advantage. When making essential decisions, top management must be present and convince the employees.

The same applies to the Corona crisis: Nobody knows exactly how deep the cut will be and how long this exceptional situation will last. But it is essential to stop the austerity program that has been initiated in good time when the indicators are pointing up again – and faster than the competitors are doing. The past recession also made this clear: Managers who remain in crisis mode for too long miss the upturn. A growth plan ensures that the company can quickly scale up again. Those who remain courageous and capable of acting now will emerge stronger from this difficult time.

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Communication In Crisis: How Important Personality & Authenticity

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Communication In A Crisis How Important Personality And Authenticity Are Now

Communication In Crisis: In times of crisis, cooperation, good relationships and constructive partnerships are important than ever. With the corona pandemic, many companies are facing new challenges. How they deal with it, i.e. how they pass on information internally and externally and which solutions they develop, reveals the characteristics and values of these companies. That is why it is particularly important in times of crisis to communicate quickly and transparently. The main thing here is to maintain contact with customers and business partners, show compassion and understanding, and offer effective support.

Quite a few companies have fallen into a kind of paralysis in the face of the rapid developments that the coronavirus has triggered in business, politics and society. Everyday business life is still characterized by uncertainty:

  • What does the spread of the coronavirus and the measures that have been taken to prevent exactly that mean for the economy in the medium and long term?
  • What specific effects does this have on your own company?
  • What can companies do to weather the crisis in the best possible way?

Communication In Crisis: Realistically Assess The Current Situation

The top priority should be to remain level-headed and look positively into the future. Black painting and scaremongering are not only unprofessional, but they also obscure the essentials. Now you need a realistic assessment of the current situation and objective and solution-oriented, but above all authentic communication in the crisis – with customers, partners and employees.

A pessimistic and panicked communication is just as not recommended as a concentrated load of euphemistic messages. What customers, suppliers and other external partners want to know now:

  • Does the crisis have an impact on production, the availability of goods or delivery times?
  • What steps has the company taken to keep business going?
  • How, when and where can the most important contacts be reached?

Those who deal openly and honestly with the current situation and always keep their business partners up to date position themselves as a reliable point of contact in times of crisis. This also includes communicating transparently with your team and providing them with all relevant information.

Communication In A Crisis: Practical Solutions

To master the current challenges, common solutions are needed that ensure the continued existence of existing networks and supply chains. In addition, mutual support and specific assistance are effective if they can be implemented quickly and easily. Companies should therefore ask themselves: Where is the greatest pain for customers and partners right now?

Then companies can make suitable and relevant offers of help: useful content, adapted conditions or other individual solutions. Important: All measures concerning communication in the Kris should, however, fit the company philosophy. The solidarity shown must not just be an artificial advertising campaign.

Appropriate Communication On All Relevant Channels

What companies should communicate now is one thing where they do it is another. Because here, too, it is important to choose the right paths for communication in a crisis with a sure instinct. Changed opening times and availability must be up-to-date on all channels – from the website to the profiles in social media to the Google My Business page and digital business directories. The most important information must be easily accessible:

  • Personalized mailings that can be sent proactively and quickly with an e-mail marketing solution land directly in the recipient’s inbox and thus have a good chance of being noticed.
  • All relevant information on the current situation can be placed on the website so that visitors do not overlook it.
  • In the blog, companies can present their specific offers of help or offer direct support, such as how-toss or tips.
  • The reach of social networks is suitable for spreading the latest information widely and attracting the attention of customers, partners and interested parties with useful content.

Communication In A Crisis: Authenticity Reveals Personality

Indeed, it is impossible to estimate how long the corona pandemic will dominate the business and what long-term consequences companies will face. However, every company has communication and interaction with its customers and partners in its own hands.

Companies are reliable contacts and stabilizers in a crisis with the right strategy and an authentic personality and have the best chances of surviving it. Because one thing is clear: at some point, the waves will even out and then those companies will be remembered for showing their colors during the crisis and sincerely supporting others.

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