Gabriel Nielsen

The recent demonetisation move in India has pushed us to move to a cash-free economy. This shift, which would have otherwise taken three years, is now expected to take just three to six months. Digital payments have also recently hit record transactions.

With digital payments witnessing record transactions and more and more people joining the cashless bandwagon, there is an obvious question on everyone's mind: are digital transactions safe? The pace of the development and integration of new technologies is much faster than the pace at which security protocols and defence mechanisms are implemented. This is what makes these technologies vulnerable to cyber-fraud. For example, 3.2 million card details were stolen in October in India - making the theft India's biggest data breach.

Members of India's new digital economy need to be aware of the vulnerabilities in the digital and mobile payment systems. Here are the key ways in which digital payments can be breached.

1. Key Logger: Just like tap dancers are strongly aware of how and when their tap shoes strike the floor, a key logger is a software that records the key-strokes made by the user on the keyboard. Static passwords like 3D PINs or banking passwords, that are entered regularly, are vulnerable to cyber-fraud through a key logger, as it can record regularly typed in passwords without the user's knowledge. Using a dynamic PIN is a smart solution to the breach caused by key loggers. It is also beneficial to use apps that have an in-app secure swipe instead of the ones that require the keying in of an OTP.

1. Social Engineering: Those calls that seem to come from the bank might not really be from the bank itself. Credit and debit cards are used at many online merchants and marketplaces. Even if these online transaction use OTPs and CVVs, someone may call the cardholder and pretend to be a representative of the bank, acting as if an online transaction needs to be confirmed, and subsequently ask the cardholder to share the the received OTP. When the OTP is disclosed by the cardholder, a fraudulent transaction can take place.

1. OTP Pop-Ups: As One Time Passwords have limited time validity (in minutes), they are believed to be secure. Although OTPs mostly appear as pop-up notifications on mobile phones. These pop-up messages are clearly visible, even if the mobile phone is locked. This means that the OTP can be easily accessed without the permission of the user, making the transaction open to being breached.

1. OTP Accessibility: Although an OTP is essential, the medium through which it is delivered is of utmost importance. Most of the times, a One Time Password is sent as an SMS. The problem with this is that many apps can read SMS messages. This means that if an app is malicious it can misuse the OTP that has been received. Therefore, users should be aware of what privileges they give to the apps on their smartphone and also look at reviews and number of downloads of the apps they choose.

1. EDC Machines: Even with a second-step PIN verification, swiping a card on an EDC machine is not as safe as it seems. EDC machines are susceptible to breach and a compromised machine can copy the details of the cards when swiped. Most debit and credit cards have a static PIN, and even these PINs can be stored in compromised EDC machines. A breach like this can give easy access to the personal data of cardholders to fraudulent groups. A dynamic PIN for physical credit or debit cards could be a strong safeguard against compromised EDC machines.

As there are many threats and vulnerabilities with digital payment systems, we need a system that goes much further than regular security standards. This digital payment system should have more than two layers of security so that it is virtually impenetrable. The system should be planned in such a way that each layer both independently stands by itself and also smartly integrates with the overall security structure. From requiring a password just to access the digital payment system to not needing to key in a PIN, this system should have multiple security checkpoints so that only the authorised user can successfully, yet easily, make payments through it.

PIC SCHEME

Enhanced Tax Deductions: Compute your PIC claims for ECI

Businesses have to submit their Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) to IRAS no later than 3 months after the end of the financial year (ie. 31th March 2016 if they follow the calendar year). The PIC Enhanced Tax Deductions claim can be included along with the submission to enjoy the associated benefits. Feel free to contact us for more details!

Cash payout: Status of application and treatment of the queries for PIC by IRAS

After the submission of a cash payout claim, businesses can call the IRAS hotline or login to the IRAS E-service system to check the status of their application (quickest and most convenient way recommended by IRAS).

For applications selected for audit by IRAS, further details and supporting documents will be requested for review. IRAS will then revert to businesses within 3 months from receiving the complete information. The processing time may take up to six months, depending on the complexity of each case.

PUBLIC FUNDING IN SINGAPORE

New services launched for international development

The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant and the Double Tax Deduction (DTD) are 2 public funding managed by IE Singapore that support the overseas expansion of local SMEs.

The MRA grant is designed to accelerate the international expansion of Singapore SMEs by covering up to 70% of eligible costs. These could range from overseas market set-up, identification of business partners, and overseas market promotion.

As for the DTD, it allows companies to deduct against their taxable income, twice the qualifying expenses incurred for eligible activities when carrying out market expansion and investment for their overseas development.

GAC Group assists you to get for MRA and DTD while providing expert advice and application assistance. We provide a hassle free solution to get the additional funding your company needs to expand overseas.

New services launched for Capability Development Grant (CDG)

The Capability Development Grant (CDG) is a financial assistance program managed by SPRING Singapore. CDG supports local SMEs to upgrade their business capabilities through defraying up to 70% of qualifying costs on activities such as Technology innovation, Service excellence, Productivity improvement, IP & Franchising, HR development, Financial management, Quality & Standards, Business excellence & strategy, Brand & Marketing strategy.

Through our 14 years of experience with the public funding scene, we have the expertise to successfully assist local SMEs to get their CDG applications optimized and approved. To find out more about how this grant would benefit your company, do not hesitate to contact us!

GAC EXPERTISE

How to identify an eligible R&D project

The identification of an eligible R&D project within all the developments of a company is a challenging task. The term "R&D" is often misunderstood, as it is commonly used to refer to the technical developments in its broadest sense. However, the definition of R&D given by IRAS in its “R&D Tax Measures” is far closer to scientific research than technical development. This is inspired by the definition given by the OECD, in the Frascati Manual. This manual gives definitions for basic research, applied research, and experimental development. With a good comprehension of the definitions and a strong knowledge of the R&D activities, our team has the expertise to accurately identify your R&D projects. Our Group’s competency in both technical and financial aspects allows us to secure the claimed projects with, for example, a strong technical report, and a fully optimized associated amount.

GLOBAL NEWS AND EVENTS

Launch of TechSG

GAC Group has attended the launch of TechSG, a digital platform for Singapore's technology entrepreneurial ecosystem developed by NUS Enterprise and sponsored by IBM. It is an open and collaborative platform for the community to provide comprehensive information on key players in Singapore’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with analytical tools. The objective is to visualize and track the diversity, interdependency, growth dynamics and vibrancy of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Release of the RIE2020

The Government has announced a S$ 19 Bn budget to support Singapore’s R&D efforts over the next 5 years. This 6th roadmap represents an 18% increase compared to the precedent plan and is also the biggest in history.

The Research Innovation Enterprise 2020 plan (RIE2020) aims at supporting the transfer of research into solutions to address national challenges, to build up innovation and technology adoption among companies, and to drive economic growth through value creation.

Four primary technology sectors are emphasized to deepen the technology capabilities and competitiveness of Singapore and to raise productivity and meet national priorities:

• Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
• Health and Biomedical Sciences
• Services and Digital Economy
• Urban Solutions and Sustainability

In the meantime, cross-cutting programmes will focus on excellent sciences, strong pipeline of manpower and value creation.

The funding will be more competitive in areas of relevance and importance for Singapore. The Government aims at encouraging collaboration of multiples stakeholders bringing together different expertise to address big issues. Thus, the Government wishes to encourage tech transfer from research to marketable solutions and public-private partnerships too.

To sum up, the Government is trying to capitalize on technologies with which the country has a competitive advantage and to build up capabilities in areas that are deemed to have great national needs.

JTC Innovation Grant Call

The JTC Innovation Grant Call has been set up to identify and provide funding for technology owners to undertake test-bed and pilot innovative solutions to promote sustainability. The areas of focus include:

• Resource Efficiency: Develop sustainable facility management solutions by reducing reliance on manpower.
• Sustainable Urban Solutions: Develop solutions that can mitigate urban challenges and cultivate green practices.
• Building Efficiency: Develop green buildings solutions by reducing water & energy consumption, allowing efficient waste treatment or harvesting green energy to reduce power consumption.

All enterprises and research institutions, both local and foreign including start-ups and incubators registered with the local authorities in their respective countries are eligible to participate.

Companies can obtain up to 500.000 SGD for qualifying costs: Manpower/Professional services, Equipment/software, and Intellectual Property.

We have chosen to build our company’s foundations on 4 core values, represented by the 4 bricks of our logo. These values are:

Independence

We are a family business with a single shareholder that guarantees financial stability, independence and responsibility to our clients, our partners and the well-being of our employees.

Know-How and Show How

Historically developed from a leading professional training center, we offer more than standard services by transferring knowledge to our clients during all our missions. Our employees regularly benefit from internal trainings and develop deep expertise and desire to go further on every topics and products.

Commitment and Enthusiasm

We rely on and invest in our employees and our employees are committed to the success of the company. This win-win situation results in a faithful commitment and a strong work ethic leading to personal development while strengthening our expertise and growth.

Entrepreunarial Dynamics

Founded by a serial entrepreneur, GAC federates its teams and acquires its clients’ loyalty around a common entrepreneurial vision and an international sense of challenge.

Get Safe Online has issued a warning to Christmas shoppers to be vigilant when it comes to purchasing presents for loved ones online.

The warning comes as recent City of London Police findings show that online crime cost consumers and businesses nearly £11 million last Christmas alone.  What’s more, research conducted by Get Safe Online’s partners, Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), found that 31% of online shoppers admit that they are more likely to take a financial risk if an online retailer offers them a bargain.

Get Safe Online is also urging people to report any fraudulent activity they come across over the holiday period. This comes as a staggering 39% of people in a recent survey by the organization, said that they’d been a victim of online crime but hadn’t reported the incident. The research also found a worrying gap in people’s understanding of what constitutes an online crime, with 86% of the public saying that they hadn’t been targeted by cyber-criminals in the past 12 months, while in fact 68% of respondents had actually been targeted in a variety of ways.

“Being able to beat the Christmas crowds by doing your Christmas shopping online is one of the many perks of the internet,” the group said. “As more and more of us are doing it though, it sadly means that cyber-criminals also see the festive period as an opportunity to scam unsuspecting members of the public who are looking to buy gifts online for loved ones. A lot of money gets lost over the season each year by people unfortunate enough to get caught out, especially as scams become harder to spot. That being said, there are little steps we can take to keep ourselves safe though; simple things like buying from reputable sites, looking out for the padlock in the browser to check its set up with encryption before making a payment and using a credit card or an insured payment method like PayPal so your payment is protected if things do go wrong.”

As advice to consumers, Get Safe Online recommends that everyone take the time to double check that the product one is purchasing is coming from a legitimate website before making a payment. Checking previous customer reviews is often a good touch point for safe online shopping. Also, always check that payment pages are secure, and log out once finished shopping online.

Technavio analysts forecast the global antivirus software package market to grow at a CAGR of close to 10% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global antivirus software package market for 2016-2020. The report also segments the market based on end-users into home users and corporate users, with corporate users accounting for over 60% of the market share in 2015.

According to Ishmeet Kaur, a lead analyst at Technavio for enterprise application research, “Antivirus software packages are expected to gain maximum traction in APAC during the forecast period as enterprises in this region are highly dependent on the Internet and wireless technologies, which are more vulnerable to data theft and cyber-attacks.”

Technavio ICT analysts highlight the following three factors that are contributing to the growth of the global antivirus software package market:

• Increase in cybercrime
• Rise in number of online transactions
• Growing dependence on Internet

Increase in cybercrime

Cybercrimes include malware, hacking and denial of service (DoS) attacks, computer viruses, fraud, identity theft, harassment and threats, and phishing scams. With cyber-attacks becoming more complex and sophisticated, the demand for antivirus software is growing. Mobile devices are becoming the most preferred devices for web browsing, e-mailing, making online purchases, accessing social media, and downloading apps. Therefore, they have become potential targets for cyber-attacks as they are increasingly being used to perform personal and business tasks by enterprises and individuals.

The increase in the number of cyber-attacks has raised awareness and fear among organizations with respect to the different security risks. For instance, in 2015, enterprises in the US alone, faced an annual loss of more than USD 525 million due to cybercrime. Most of the losses were due to malicious code and DoS attacks. This is compelling organizations to adopt antivirus software packages.

Rise in number of online transactions

Online transactions are gaining prominence among individual consumers because they are very easy, quick, and convenient. However, these banking and e-commerce transactions are most vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, vendors in the market are providing advanced features in their antivirus software packages to make online transactions secure and prevent fraudulent activities.

The availability of multiple online shopping websites, attractive offers, and a variety of choices are factors that are encouraging users to shop online. Users are increasingly using the Internet for financial transactions because they are quick and convenient.

“Security threats such as identity theft and phishing are on the rise due to an increase in the number of online transactions. Thus, the need for antivirus software packages is increasing with the rise in online transactions,” says Ishmeet.

Growing dependence on Internet

The worldwide use of Internet is growing at an exponential rate, with the number on internet users exceeding 3 billion in 2015, which was more than six times the number of Internet users in 2000. This is due to the spread of education and developments in technology ensuring better connectivity.

The Internet has penetrated the lives of individuals from all walks of life. People are increasingly using the internet for everyday activities and to stay connected because of which they end up posting a lot of personal information on the Internet. The increased dependence on web applications has made people vulnerable to identity theft. Cases such as phishing and data theft are on the rise, and new forms of attacks are emerging. Therefore, it has become essential for end-users to adopt antivirus software packages to protect critical information from security threats.

Finding your favorite casino games online is easy to do considering the loads of options to choose from. However, in order to make the most of your gambling experience online, it is ideal that you find a casino that offers you the safest, most reliable payment options. Security is an important consideration when trying to choosing an online casino. To make it easier on you, we’ve compiled a listing of the top payment options available through online casinos today. Look out for these options as they ensure your security comes first and that you have the best online gambling experience.

Credit Card

Credit is probably the most widely used form of payment across all online casinos. The great thing about credit card payment options is that you’ll find them at all casinos, so you’ll be able to play at any casino if this is your preferred method. Unfortunately, credit cards aren’t always the most secure option, as fraudulent behavior is often a cause for concern. Of all credit card options, we recommend Visa as it is accepted worldwide and is the safest of the bunch.

PayPal

Conveniency is at the core of PayPal’s business model, allowing for easy money transfer online. PayPal was founded in 1998 with the intention of making online shopping easier and hassle-free. Users of PayPal are now able to consolidate their multiple banking accounts under one convenient roof, so that they can transfer money or make payments through multiple accounts. For online casino members, the availability of PayPal makes their experience all that much more convenient. It’s much easier to play and gamble when you don’t have to worry about constantly having to rely on one single account. Additionally, PayPal is extremely secure and employs the strictest technology to prevent fraud and other suspicious behavior. Thus, it is no wonder that casino sites that accept paypal, listed on paypal-casinos.co, are a favorite among online casino goers. If we had to go with one option, PayPal would be our pick.

Neteller

Known as the leader in the e-wallet industry, Neteller is a highly reputable and widely used form of payment. Neteller makes it easy to transfer funds for services and is used as a virtual wallet for those who prefer veering away from banks. Knowing that you won’t have to plug in your account number in order to make a payment is a source of comfort for many, and Neteller allows for that. It is a convenient payment option that has become widely recognized within the online casino industry. It is relatively easy to come across, especially within the Canadian casino space online.

Visa Electron

Debit is also a common form of payment available on many online casinos worldwide. Visa Electron is the most reputable of the lot, ensuring security for all those using it. The card is easy to use and it serves as a sister card to the Visa debit card. The only difference between the two is that Visa Electron prevents the player from overdrawing, so they must be sure to have enough funds available when using their card. Most online casinos offer Visa Electron as a payment method. We highly recommend Visa Electron if you like to use your debit card and are looking for a secure form of debit.

These payment options are the most reliable options when making payments through online casinos. It is important to choose an option that is most convenient for you and keeps your security a priority. Always choose a trusted option so that you can make the most of your online casino experience.

CRIB Match is the platform to find your perfect co-founder(s) to team up for success

A key component of our matchmaking program is to help identify your entrepreneurial strengths, before pairing you up with potential ideas and partners at CRIB Match events.

CRIB believes that successful business teams comprise three main entrepreneur types, which can be profiled through our proprietary ABC entrepreneur assessment tool:

ANGELS

Angels (As) are resourceful investors with the right finances and networks to make a difference in new ventures and opportunities.

BUSINESS MANAGERS

Business Managers (Bs) are enablers who make things happen with strong management, organization and execution skills.

CREATIVES

Creatives (Cs) have ideas waiting to be translated into reality and enjoy finding creative solutions to challenges.

All CRIB members are welcome to submit their business plan proposals which are assessed by the CRIB Evaluation Team for individual and business feedback.

Promising ideas are given the opportunity to be pitched at CRIB Match Mixers, where participants can find potential partners, speed dating style.

The strongest, most viable and scalable submissions will proceed to CRIB Pitch Perfect, where they will be paired with a curated team of mentors and potential co-founders, and invited to pitch to a selected group of CRIB Angels.

Changes at the state and federal levels could affect enforcement

While the shock of the national elections continues to be felt, the Coalition is sizing up the likely impact on fraud-fighting.

The biggest concern is whether the Trump administration will continue the federal government’s aggressive stand in combatting healthcare fraud. FBI investigations and Department of Justice prosecutions have helped set records for arrests, convictions and financial recoveries in the last eight years.

Another potential concern is whether repealing the Affordable Care Act will gut anti-fraud programs that were part of the original bill. Medicare has much more capacity and authority to crackdown and prevent healthcare fraud today. Its ability to shut down scams quickly and use the latest technology such as predictive modeling could be in jeopardy.

Republicans also likely will push for interstate sales of health insurance. We’ve repeatedly warned that such an unregulated system will spur scam artists to sell fake policies to unsuspecting consumers.

Another potential casualty could be the Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership, an alliance of more than 60 private insurers and public agencies.

The partnership’s data-sharing program has helped save more than $260 million for healthcare payers. It would be foolish not to continue, but the program operates at the whim of the administration and HHS secretary. That’s one reason we advocated writing the program into federal law, but it’s too late for that now.

As for state elections, Wayne Goodwin, the insurance commissioner in North Carolina, lost his election. He’s a strong supporter of anti-fraud measures. Goodwin sponsors an effective fraud bureau, and chairs the NAIC Anti-Fraud Task Force.

The change of governors and insurance commissioners in other states, such as Delaware, also may affect law-enforcement efforts to combat fraud.

We’ll continue analyzing the federal and state results. We’ll report developments as they emerge. In the meantime, the Coalition stands ready to work with the new office holders to advocate strong measures that effectively combat insurance fraud.

Mob-style hits sought in name of insurance money

Recent charges against a foot doctor challenge a belief among many consumers that insurance fraud is a relatively low-level, white-collar scam.

The issue: fraud as violence.

Foot doctor Ira Bernstein allegedly tried to hire thugs to beat up two insurance-fraud investigators and throw them off the track.

The Ramapo, N.Y. man and his girlfriend met with someone they thought was a hitman to kill his wife Susan — and rough up the fraud investigators, federal prosecutors contend. The investigators were looking into whether Bernstein bilked health insurers with false claims.

The purported hitman was a wired informant. He revealed the suspected plot to police.

Police also set up Hollywood-style murder photos. They applied makeup so the investigators would look mugged. The snitch then showed Bernstein the seemingly grisly images to fool the foot doctor into revealing more suspected evidence.

Bernstein could be innocent. He’ll have his justly deserved day in court.

Whatever the outcome, the case shines a light on a broader concern that insurance fraud is widely perceived as a relatively tame white-collar scam with few real victims.

Once embedded as a norm … this lax attitude edges dangerously closer to making an $80-billion insurance crime a socially acceptable way people can lard their bank accounts, live well, or exact policyholder revenge against insurers for high premiums paid out without claims.

Insurance fraud has a seedy history of Mafia-style violence — or threatened harm — against against investigators … judges … witnesses … and other hardworking professionals just trying to do fair justice. Blind panic and fear when cornered by courts and investigators can turn swindlers into murderers.

An insurance agent shot and killed two fraud investigators who were looking into his practices. Rhett Jeansonne and Kim Sledge were with the Louisiana insurance department. John Melvin Lavergne gunned them down at his Ville Platte agency, then shot himself.

Alarmed insurance regulators around the U.S. quickly strengthened procedures for how investigators can stay safer when visiting a suspect’s office or home.

Sallie Rohrbach died doing her duty as well. She was an auditor with the North Carolina insurance department. A troubled agent clubbed her to death with a chair while she was in his office reviewing his books for  possible theft of client premiums.

Tyesha Towanda Roberts offered to hired someone to shoot a witness involving insurance torchings of a home and two vehicles. The Baltimore woman wanted $10,000 to set up the murder. A cohort offered to help shoot the witness himself. Except that Roberts and her cohort spilled the plot to an undercover officer. Roberts was convicted, and will be sentenced in August 2016.

Nightclub insurer mogul Jeffrey Cohen plotted to assassinate the judge overseeing the bankrupt insurer’s liquidation.

Cohen deceived regulators into thinking his failing insurance empire was financially solid.

A former nightclub bouncer, Cohen drew up a hit list of Maryland and Delaware officials involved with his case. Plus driving directions to the home of the judge overseeing the insurer’s liquidation.

Seven assault weapons were seized at Cohen’s home. “Society needs to look at the fact that killing isn’t wrong in certain circumstances, and killing culls the weak,” he said in a sound recording. Cohen was handed 37 years in federal prison.

Buying the narrative that insurance fraud is tame feeds the dystopian mindset that eggs people to use violence to defend their schemes. Even seemingly average people can become killers when their fraud plots start unravelling.

So when you think of insurance fraud as a soft and minor crime … just visit Sallie Rohrbach’s grave. She’s buried in Raleigh Memorial Park in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

Proposing ongoing blog about all things insurance fraud. Consumer attitudes that let fraud thrive … strategies for changing minds … new fraud trends and why they’re important …

Profile how people are victimized. How fraud crimes are investigated and convicted. Highlight breaking cases and fraud trends — and why they’re important.

Also look on light side — knuckleheads who bumble to bogus fake workers comp injury claims.

Examinations under oath help insurers combat fraud and should be allowed without requiring time-consuming court orders in Kentucky, the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud and National Insurance Crime Bureau say in a joint amicus brief filed today with the state’s highest court.

“This tool benefits insurers and honest claimants by providing a means for determining the circumstance of accidents and the nature of injuries, and an intelligent, well-formed decision as to the applicability of coverage,” the anti-fraud groups say in the brief to the state Supreme Court.

Two Kentucky motorists claimed they were injured in a crash. They sought no-fault benefits, yet refused to take part in an examination under oath (EUO). The state appeals court said the insurer must obtain a court order to conduct the interview. State Farm appealed to Kentucky’s highest court.

EUOs uncover information that enables insurers to make intelligent claim decisions that can stymie fraud and help keep auto premiums affordable for honest drivers, NICB and the Coalition say. Importantly, EUOs also validate honest claims and help ensure payment as promptly as possible.

"EUOs are a time-tested tool, valuable tool. They are utilized in every form of insurance coverage,” the anti-fraud groups say.

Claims will be needlessly prolonged if EUOs must be resolved in courts instead of efficiently between insurers and claimants, the Coalition and NICB contend.

Requiring court orders “encourages litigation by forcing insurers to obtain a discovery order from a court every time it is necessary to investigate a claim,” the Coalition and NICB argue.

The expensive, time-consuming effort will weaken anti-fraud efforts in the Kentucky.

“The result is higher premiums, potentially higher coverage deductibles, and the threat that insurers will cease doing business in Kentucky if they cannot efficiently combat suspected fraudulent claims and financial loss becomes guaranteed,” NICB and the Coalition say.

Insurers must be empowered to resolve claims as promptly as possible. EUOs elicit vital information and thwart fraud that drives up auto premiums in Kentucky.

“EUOs allow the insurer to investigate the veracity of medical reports generated by providers. … They allow the insurer to verify that treatment actually took place, that the stated treatment was of the nature the provider claims, and that they value of the service actually provided comports with the bills the provider submits,” the Coalition and NICB contend in the legal filing.

The Kentucky Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case later this year.

*****

CONTACT:

Dennis Jay, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud; 202-393-7333

Frank Scafidi, National Insurance Crime Bureau; 916-979-1510

Entrepreneurs and people involved in the government worldwide need to develop advanced relief and emergency response solutions due to the abrupt increase in natural calamities and disasters in the past few years.

Many private organizations also want to protect lives and as much as possible reduce the damages on properties. They’re also encouraging the public to be ready at all times in case of such events. They usually provide instructions on how to properly address immediate risks.

It is not only the responsibility of the government authorities to keep the safety of the public, but everyone else is entitled to their own safety as well as the safety of other people, especially their loved ones.

In order to manage risks brought by natural or human-induced disasters nowadays, many organizations are utilizing technology to help the public increase their capability in handling any risks. Improving the support and security of a community need people to become confident and have greater determination, and one factor that could affect this is having a life-support during any emergency situation wherein they can use technology as a tool to cope and to move on with any danger.

To be able to achieve efficient and faster transmission, Metropolitan Wireless International, being ingenious as ever, developed a Unified Message Switch (UMS) that allows users to send messages in different social media formats in one unified infrastructure.

The system could be of great help to disaster management and other rapid-response situations since it provides crucial communication links. It also allows greater advantage and flexibility to particular messaging requirements in areas such as construction, medical service, police work, and transportation.

MWI holds to the famous saying, "prevention is better than cure" because they believe that with it, people could manage or minimize the damages caused by natural or human-induced disasters. Ensuring public safety entail communication as its vital part to make sure risks are managed with the least amount of time, cost and damage.

MWI's goal is to improve public safety through their creations, and the company has been providing advanced solutions for many years already. They have a firm experience that clients could depend on. Their history in developing solutions for the benefit of the public has been known with successful releases and is highly reliable. Each of their staff members is always dedicated to providing each customer the best service based on their shared values and trust.

Independent perspective for your audit committee—whether you’re preparing an IPO or maintaining your compliance.

INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE

Moss Adams is the independent auditor of record for public companies across industries—including entities with market capitalizations exceeding $3 billion as well as those working to register their equity and debt securities with the SEC.

Our dedicated partners and professionals are well qualified to address the full spectrum of your accounting and regulatory reporting requirements, and five of them have completed two-year terms as SEC Professional Accounting Fellows in Washington, DC. This direct involvement with the SEC and relevant committees—namely, the SEC Regulations Committee and Center for Audit Quality committees—provide us with extensive insight that we’ll put to direct use when we conduct your audit.

As your independent auditors, we’ll work directly with your audit committee and management team to develop a detailed and efficient audit plan that will provide an objective and independent perspective in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. To do this, we assemble an integrated audit team made up of accountants, corporate finance professionals, tax advisors, technology consultants, and professionals fluent in your industry, drawing on their individual expertise so we can deliver an audit solution that’s tailored to your organization and its particular needs.

With offices throughout the Western United States and support from Praxity AISBL, our international alliance of independent accounting firms, we’re equipped to handle your multistate and international business needs with ease. And the breadth of services we provide to public companies means we’ll be able to step in quickly and effectively to help your organization in other ways, including:

• Private debt and equity offerings
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Valuations
• Reorganizations
• Consolidations
• Leveraged capitalizations
• Divestitures and disposals
• Management buyouts
• Leveraged buyouts
• Corporate governance consulting
• Outsourced internal audits

Moss Adams is registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), which oversees audit services provided by CPA firms to SEC issuers and broker-dealers. Read our most recent PCAOB inspection report.

Contact us today to learn more about our public company assurance services or arrange a complimentary consultation.

NEW PRODUCT RELEASE

Model 7601.15 is a 15-gallon, air-pressurized, self-contained eyewash with an ASME rated tank with optional drench hose.

Model 7601.15 is an ideal solution for a facility’s ANSI eyewash requirements in locations without access to a continuous potable water source and where an ASME tank is required.

More specifically, Model 7601.15 is able to provide 15 minutes of flushing with the use of twin soft-flo eyewash heads.

• Features a 15 gallon (56.8 L) ASME rated stainless steel tank
• Protective measures include:
  • air pressure gauge
  • pressure relief valve
  • tire-type air fill valve
• Measurements: 43-3/4″ (111 cm) high, 12-1/4″ (31 cm) diameter
• ABS plastic anti-surge eyewash heads with integral flow controls and dust covers
• Chrome-plated brass ball valve equipped with stainless steel ball and stem
• Additional features:
  • Flow Regulation9082
  • Fully Assembled
  • System Certified

Certified by CSA to meet the ANSI Z358.1 Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment.

Note: Reference the Supplemental Equipment section [8.0] of the ANSI Z358.1-2014 regarding Drench Hose compliance.

Heimdal Online Security – The idea that we should create a gargantuan list of cyber security tools started to spring in our minds around the beginning of this year.

We started from a simple idea: It should be useful. We need it. You need it. It will come in handy in the future, to have all those tools in one place.

In our journey into the cyber security and data protection world, we ran into lots of useful tools. Some of them were unmarketed gems that we had no idea that they even existed. We ran into most of them completely by mistake, while searching for something else (usually on Quora or randomly navigating on blogs).

When we finally decided to do it, to work on the list, we had no idea how and where to begin.

What tools should we include? What should we not? How do we tell if one is worthy and the other one is not?

Do we mention ultra-known products?

What about antivirus products? We haven’t tested them all since there are independent industry experts who do a much better job.

Should we mention the services that are duplicated and basically do the same thing? Or should we stick to the best?

Why? Who decides what’s best for someone and what’s not?

Should we stick to what’s free or should we also add paid products?

Eventually we came up with what we’re about to read. But first here’s a quick guideline that you should read before we jump right to the subject:

We don’t claim that this is the ultimate list. It’s not complete and it’s definitely not final. It probably never will be. We are aware that we missed lots of essential, important tools – by mistake or just because we can’t know them all. So please feel free to jump in with more useful tools that you feel they should be mentioned.

We stayed away from recommending antivirus, VPN or firewall products. There are independent industry experts who only do that. Instead, we prefer to list those experts or websites that will help you compare such services, in order to choose what’s best for you.

We tried to test them all before recommending them. And we only included tools that have free versions.

Click here to Continue….

Pro Axia Consultants Business Consulting Group in Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Japan sees the partnership between Apple and SAP resulting in lots of innovative developments and improved business value with the combined distinguished user experiences of Apple and the incomparable end-to-end business process and software of SAP.

Companies and developers now have the opportunity to make a difference in the digital world through this partnership, along with giving new opportunities and transforming the mobile work experience for customers. Pro Axia Consultants knows that great business applications await the world through Apple and SAP's partnership wherein it could also open potential for their joint customers.

Yes, most of us can't live without a smartphone or tablet nowadays, and can't end the day without using a mobile application. The current era people live in can be described to as an app-driven world.

To enable customers to fully leverage the data in their SAP enterprise systems, SAP is developing a lot of new and native iOS industry apps for core business processes to transform how customers run their business anywhere.

The kind of capability that drives a digital enterprise is the power to get mission critical information, reports, and data anytime and anywhere you need it, without being tied to your desktop. SAP is starting with industries including retail, asset intensive industries, professional services, and healthcare where the need for consumer applications is high and there is instant add value as they develop those applications.

In order to develop, extend and run a new class of native iOS apps powered by the HANA Cloud Platform (HCP), SAP provides their community of developers with advanced tools and training such as SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK for iOS and a SAP Academy for iOS. Developers can get access to the power of HANA in the cloud.

HCP allows you to change an existing SAP application (or mobile SAP app) even though you’re not a developer wherein you also no longer need months of customization with lots of consultants. HCP is that fastest path to the best app and that path just got even better with this specific partnership.

Companies and developers can easily build their own native apps for iPhone and iPad through SAP HCP SDK for iOS and training for developers to native iOS apps powered by HCP while taking advantage of all the innovative iOS technologies.

SAP, together with Apple, will offer developers with a SAP Fiori for iOS design language based on SAP Fiori UX adapted for iOS. This will include reusable design components and building blocks to optimize the development of consistent and beautiful UI design across applications and throughout the lifecycle of each application to ensure that app adoption and user experience are easy to use, consistent and smooth.

SAP and Apple will jointly develop a SAP Academy for iOS to complement the SDK as well as to curate and educate their combined ecosystem, connecting millions of developers, customers, SI partners and ISV partners. It would be hugely beneficial for both SAP and Apple to share the knowledge of technical expertise and design skills for native iOS app development.

The partnership between SAP and Apple will also allow real work in real time. It'll be easier to consume and leverage your organization's most important data on their iPhone and iPad devices. SAP offers an enterprise computing platform through HANA that enables customers to constantly access their data every day to obtain significant and insightful data.

Nowadays most people can't live without a certain app on their phone and one example of which is Uber. If you'll look back a few years ago, this app is not even available but now plays a huge part in the lives of millions of people. The world people live in today is truly amazing because such apps already have a great impact and hold a huge importance.

The Apple/SAP partnership aims to achieve success by creating such applications that could be vital for their customers, which enables newer and faster ways to perform a task, access data and do their job.

Accessing accurate and real-time data is really a game changer. Mobile apps on iOS will make digital transformation even more prevalent across enterprises. Innovative transformation could really happen and life will become a lot easier with the combination of SAP's helpful data management and Apple's dependable user experience.

This partnership does excite Pro Axia Consultants with all the possibilities and benefits it could bring to the modern society.

Some say that location is the most important thing when looking for the perfect property for your business. But Bacall Development claims that there are other essential things to consider that are just or even more important as location. Looking for the perfect property for your business can be arduous, so the Bacall team suggests the following to help you find the right commercial property.

Location

Reviews show that location holds great importance to some business, but not to every business out there because it depends on the kind of business you have. For instance, location can set a great difference and can greatly contribute to the success or failure of your business in case you depend on customer contact in a retail setting. You must be in a place that is accessible and easy to find.

You may choose a serene location if you don't see clients often at your site to offer a peaceful environment to your staff. With this, they can be more focused to finish their jobs. Bacall Development recommends a home office if you don't have any employees on site and don't expect visits from customers. This way, you can save on operating costs and provide potential tax savings.

Size

Make sure that the property fits your business well and works for the kind of business you have. Size is an important factor whether you're just starting out or moving your business. If the site can accommodate your business then it can be an excellent choice for you. In order to avoid any added expense because of retrofitting, see to it that the place has been outfitted with wiring to meet your electrical and communication needs. Knowing the zoning ordinances of the area is also considered necessary.

Surroundings

Does the location of the property has a good neighborhood? Bacall Development needs you to prioritize the growth of your business, so even though the rent is high but the location is accessible and suits your needs, it is worth your money. Placing your business near similar businesses can do you good if you have a retail business. Consider a place that is convenient for your customers and offers the chance to combine trips and errands. Parking, safety, and traffic also have great influence to potential customers, so put them into mind. Comfort and safety are crucial for your customers and employees, so see to it that you will choose a property that offers both.

Cost

Is the property affordable to you? Begin looking at a commercial property for your business after having a particular budget in mind. Bacall associates rental suggests that you consider different alternatives such as renting an existing space, buying a lot and have control over the construction and design, and leasing a build-to-suit. You can buy an affordable piece of property for your business by stopping at the courthouse to get a list of business closings or property foreclosures.

Availability

Check if the property is really out there. You can schedule a consultation with a real estate broker to help you lessen your options in case you're not certain how to find a commercial property. Going in person is also advisable if you're going to visit some locations that caught your interest. This can help you do some evaluation on some issues that may affect your business such as competition, traffic, and overall convenience. Bacall Development recommends the use of online searching at real estate websites if you want to see what is available on the market without exerting too much effort.

Keep in mind that a good commercial property does not stay available for long, so be prepared to act quickly if you find one that really matches your business needs.