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Why is Vendor Risk Management Program Essential for Companies?

Cybersecurity consulting has become an essential aspect of the information and communication technology supply chain. There is a growing cyber risk associated with dealing with vendors that are not adequately vetted or audited for their cybersecurity capabilities. The prime focus of Vendor Risk Management is to mitigate risks related to vendors. It is a risk management discipline that assesses the issues in a company regarding cyber security.

Technology is evolving rapidly. New issues see the day of light every day, and VRM helps counter them. The tool empowers companies with the vision to acknowledge whether vendors have sufficient security control.

The cloud provider vendors are using VRM due to the increasing number of people opting to work from home following the pandemic. Thus, the digital transformation requires growing while simultaneously relying on vendors along with the cybersecurity consulting services from the experts.

The objective of the Vendor Risk Management Program

In a nutshell, VRM technology renders assistance to enterprises from third-party suppliers. The objective of vendor risk management programs may differ from company to company. The size, requirement, applicable laws, jurisdiction, industry type, and more.

VRM monitors analyze and manage the risk exposure of vendors or industries seeking services from TPS (third party suppliers), specifically IT products. Also, it serves help when to clients when their enterprise details are at stake. All this is a part of cybersecurity service that aims to protect a company.

For delving further into VRM, you should run through a list of topics:

  • Third-Party Risk Management Governance and Policy
  • Determining Third-Party Risk
  • Third-Party Inventory and Risk Rating
  • Third-Party Risk Assessment (Pre-contract and Post contract)
  • Issue Tracking and Corrective Action
  • Annual Due Diligence
  • Continuous Monitoring

Third-Party Risk Management Governance and Policy

The surging regulatory stress, the need for cybersecurity consulting services, globalization are forcing organizations worldwide to scrutinize their business processes and relationships for assessing the risk involved with third parties. That helps them comply with the applicable laws, regulate their requirements, and make better decisions. However, in the absence of governance and policy for TPRM, an organization can face operational risk, reputational damage, monetary losses, and government inquiry.

Outsourcing business activities expose organizations to risks like cyber, financial, legal, compliance, geopolitical, credit, and quality.

Determining Third-Party Risk

Assessing third-party risk is an essential cog in elevating the position of a company in the competitive marketplace. Here are the steps to determine them: –

Compliance requirement

It is pivotal to know the standards and regulations required to be met by organizations and vendors

Knowing potential risks

Identification of potential risks arising from third-party relationships as a part of end to end cybersecurity service.

Regular monitoring

It is essential for adapting to the changing environment.

Third-Party Inventory and Risk Rating

Any inventory located at the end of service providers or the premises of a third-party vendor is third-party inventory. For example, the third party includes employment agencies, mediators, brokers, or service providers.

On the other hand, risk rating means assessing or determining the risks involved while carrying out a business activity. Furthermore, the classification of the risks is also one of the vital parts. The compartments are high, medium, and low risks.

Thus, companies decide to deploy their employees and resources to work based on the severity and magnitude of risks.

Third-Party Risk Assessment (pre and post contracts)

The due diligence during the pre and post-contracts with third-party vendors aids an organization to keep abreast with potential risk. The assessment beside review of financial risk and Service Level Agreement at minimum must include the review of these controls;

  • Information Security Governance and Policy
  • Asset Management
  • Identity and Access Management
  • Authentication and Authorization
  • Software and Application Security
  • Infrastructure Security
  • Change Management
  • Threat and Vulnerability management
  • Remote Access
  • Mobil User Access
  • Incident and Disaster Recovery management
  • Third Party Risk Management
  • Training and Awareness
  • MIS and Reporting
As per PwC (a global network of firms), out of 71 percent confident companies, only 32 percent out of them require third parties to follow their policies.

Issue Tracking and Corrective Action

Tracking the issue is an essential part of giving it a corrective solution. Thus, corrective and preventive action and issue tracking go simultaneously for an organization. Once the issue is marked and tracked properly, it helps in getting to its root cause and finally resolves it.

All issues must be risk rated.

Tracking an issue has several advantages. Few are listed below

  • You can always go back and resolve the issue on its recurrence, thanks to the tracking.
  • The process saves time and money in the days ahead
  • The recorded jurisdiction can be helpful for initiating bigger CAPA (corrective and preventive action)

Annual Due Diligence

It is a process used by companies or organizations to confirm details or facts of a matter through audit, investigation, or review. Annual due diligence is conducted every year to know beside the financial status of a company and also if there are any changes to their information security practices, such as Data center relocation or outsourcing their support to a third party as an example. ADD will allow the enterprise to be aware of any changes that may impact them.

Continuous Monitoring

IT systems are categorized and defined by continuous monitoring of an organization. Here, every system is organized based on various parameters, including controlled application, risk levels, and effectiveness assessment on security hazards.

The continuous monitoring program along with the robust cyber security services ensures that your company does not get harmed by a cybersecurity attack. It identifies loopholes occurring due to changes in hardware, software, and technology.

How Can SVAM Help?

Vendor risk management program is essential for companies as it helps identify, assess, and mitigate the risks associated with third-party vendors. SVAM International Inc., through its expert team of cybersecurity consultants, ensures the protection of sensitive data, compliance with regulations, and the continuity of business operations.

By implementing a comprehensive vendor risk management program through experienced professionals, you can mitigate potential threats and minimise the impact of a breach or disruption. Get in touch with us today to learn how we implement a vendor risk management program coupled with robust cybersecurity services.

A common misconception for small businesses is that your business is too small to be a target, but unfortunately, this is not the case. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, worldwide, cybercrime expenses are anticipated to increase by 15% each year, reaching around USD 10.5 trillion by 2025. This clearly means that cyber security threats for small businesses are increasing at an alarming rate as well.

Small businesses’ cyber security breaches should be anticipated as soon as they embrace more creative technology to simplify operations despite implementing cyber security services.

In 2020, cyberattacks grew in large numbers and as per the estimates, the rise in attacks during the pandemic was approximately 100%. Now, even small businesses worldwide are confronted with unprecedented levels of risk. As a result, cyber security consulting remains the top priority for IT teams. Still, businesses that start at a small scale are not well aware of the cyberattacks and as a result, they either fail or face huge financial losses. Following are some of the most critical types of SME cyber security attacks that every organization should be aware of.

Top CyberThreats That Every Business Should Be Aware Of

Cyber security threats for small businesses cannot be ignored as they are the ones at the highest risk of a security breach because of the lack of power infrastructure. Below highlighted are the most common enterprise cyber security threats that SMEs may face

1. Phishing Attacks

The biggest and most widespread threat that small businesses face is phishing attacks. Phishing accounts are responsible for around 32% of confirmed data breaches and 78% of all cybercrimes. A phishing attack occurs when a hacker pretends to be someone employees can trust, be it their manager or the CEO, and entices a user to click a malicious link, download a malicious file, or give them access to account details, credentials, payment information, etc.

Here, the most common scenario is when hackers start emailing from a slightly similar email ID, and without implementation of the small business cybersecurity consulting services, it becomes fairly difficult to identify and control the threat. Typically, a hacker attaches a link or some file along with the mail so that people can enter their personal information.

2. Cloud Jacking

This is the process where cloud computing is infiltrated by a third party. Once the hacker gets into the organization’s cloud, they try to reconfigure the cloud code so as to manipulate the sensitive information, communication, & other data to expand their reach to take control of the entire cloud. Furthermore, cybercriminals use this opportunity to develop phishing schemes. This results in multiple mishaps like leakage of sensitive information, financial loss, etc.

3. Ransomware

Ransomware is one of the common and serious cyber attacks that involve encrypting company data so that it cannot be used or accessed until a ransom is paid to unlock the data. The ransom’s immediate losses are merely the tip of the iceberg. The monetary costs of missed production and data loss are frequently the most devastating to a firm.

This is the reason why 60% of small firms fail within six months after a cyber intrusion. Small business cybersecurity consulting at the right time can save them from ransomware attacks which is one of the top cyber-attacks and a common method for criminals to target especially small firms.

4. Patch Management

One of the most common cyber security risks for businesses is related to outdated software or patches. As a result, failing to keep up with software patches exposes businesses to a variety of information security vulnerabilities. When attackers get aware of a software vulnerability, they exploit it to conduct a cyber assault.

This trend in cyber security is exemplified by two large-scale cyberattacks that began in 2018. The attacks use a serious flaw in the Windows OS known as Eternal Blue. Organizations that failed to update their software were left exposed and ultimately, they face huge financial losses.

5. Deepfakes

Deepfakes are used to develop fake versions of an organization to lure in unsuspecting customers and also to gain access to the sensitive information of a business or an individual. This attack moreover contributes to an advanced form of phishing attack which impersonates the CEO’s reputation where a hacker gives wrong instructions to the employees.

This Cyberattack has been used over the last several years against both individuals and organizations. Such an attack is developed by AI that takes an existing voice recording, photo, or video to manipulate an organization or an individual’s image to falsify their action of speech.

In the past, cyber security threats for small businesses have surfaced frequently. Because the business IT threats are not just limited to the CXO level but have crept down to the employee level as well.

However, the advancement in security systems in conjugation with the right cyber security consulting services presents opportunities for significant security growth.

The passing year has demonstrated the fact that small businesses must adapt to the modern world and this year’s advancements have resolved such problems to a great /extent. Taking assistance from SVAM International, a leading provider of cyber security services for small businesses is a great start to identifying and filling the security loopholes for the business. Get in touch with our professionals, discuss your concerns, and get the best possible solutions.

Cyberthreats have increased rapidly during the last decade as cybercriminals have become more sophisticated and difficult to handle. Current security controls are not enough to protect the networks from highly skilled Cybercriminals. This is where Artificial Intelligence proves to be useful. Investing in AI cybersecurity solutions helps companies better address network issues, financial loss, and brand reputation damage. There are numerous benefits of AI in cyber security when it comes to business protection. Let’s explore them one by one.

Benefits of AI in cyber security

With the rise of cyber attacks, the use of AI in cyber security has become increasingly important. From threat detection to incident response, AI can provide faster and more accurate results, improving the overall effectiveness of cyber security measures. Let’s discuss more the benefits of AI in cyber security.

1. AI Identifies Unknown Security Threats

In addition to identifying recent threats within an organization’s network, the right AI cybersecurity solutions can detect unknown threats as well. Such unknown threats can cause massive damage to the network. Therefore, it has become essential to use modern solutions like AI in network security to prevent such attacks. The right cyber security consulting for AI and business can reduce repercussions resulting from hacking or millions of attacks done by hackers with different motives.

2. AI Offers Better Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability Management is vital to secure an organization’s network. Dissecting and accessing the existing security measures by integrating AI with cyber security can result in vulnerability management. It basically helps to assess systems faster than cybersecurity personnel which expands the critical thinking capacity. Overall, focussing on AI for cybersecurity has made it possible for businesses to manage vulnerability and secure business systems in time.

3. AI Accelerates Detection & Response Times

Threat detection is the foremost stage of securing a company’s network. If businesses detect some untrusted data from the beginning, it would protect the business from any irreversible damage to the network. Using AI in network security is an effective solution as it scans the entire network and figures out the possible threats that can cause damage. Unlike a human, AI finishes such tasks faster and simplifies security tasks.

4. AI Provides Better Security & Prioritizes Cyber Attacks

The threats that businesses face keep on changing with time as hackers implement new tactics every day. Due to this, it becomes challenging to prioritize security tasks for a business. Further, one of the biggest threats that make security more challenging is negligence and human error. This is where AI cybersecurity solutions can detect different attacks and help businesses to prioritize them and prevent them accordingly.

5. AI Can Handle A Lot Of Data

Even a small organization has so many activities to perform on a company’s network. It means a lot of data gets transferred between customers and businesses every day. This is why they need data protection from malicious attacks, but Cybersecurity alone cannot identify all the possible threats. But with AI cybersecurity solutions, one can easily detect any threat masked as normal activity. Its automotive nature allows it to skim through massive chunks of traffic and data altogether. Keeping the network and data secure isn’t an easy job in today’s world. But, businesses can take a decisive step towards being safer by implementing AI to strengthen their security infrastructure. At SVAM international, we offer professional cybersecurity consulting services and the best business solutions. Consult our experts today and save your business from any Cyber Threat or attack in the coming time.
Data And Analytics: Key To Unlock Digital Transformation
Information is the most crucial asset for modern business. It is the differentiator for organizations aiming to adopt digital transformation in their business processes. Data drives the decisions and analytics sorts the data to provide the right information and help decision making. While the relationship between data and analytics is as straightforward, their combined relationship with digital transformation gives them a key position in the current digital nature of businesses worldwide. Data and analytics are key components of a business’s rate of growth. However, more than 50% of global businesses are not yet using these tools to their full potential to deliver business value. Here, the need to classify data as an asset and analytics as a necessary competency increases significantly for the business. In this article, we discuss in detail how businesses can make the switch to digital transformation using their own data and analytics. The Switch to Data and Analytics for Digital Transformation The collecting of relevant data for results is often overlooked in analog procedures and old business structures, which in turn disables the analytics part of growth. Digital transformation relies heavily on data collection and analysis to provide deeper business insights. The switch from traditional, obsolete, and slow systems to digital solutions is how the modern business is keeping pace with the changing needs of the market and data is crucial to make this switch. Many businesses, however, are hesitant to make the switch for a variety of reasons. It could be a lack of understanding of data’s potential or the organization’s current issues that are keeping it from making a move to the information environment. When you compare these factors with the advantages of digital transformation supported by data and analytics, you’ll see how this new way of working has the potential to become the focal point for all of your organization’s strategy, execution, and investments. Here is how you, as a business owner or stakeholder can begin the adoption of data and analytics in your business.
  • Collect and communicate the economic benefits, both internal and external, of the data generated by your organization’s processes.
  • Offer to be involved in all strategic plannings to successfully integrate data and analytics within all operations.
  • Document the results, measure the value of information and communicate the benefits of this asset to help provide that necessary push to the organization towards a shift in the culture that accepts data as an asset.
  • Move towards the next step by hiring, licensing, or developing advanced analytics competencies, like data science and machine learning. Make sure that you can get them fully embedded throughout your business.
Data and analytics are increasingly becoming the cornerstones of digital transformation. Not only will they help in understanding the digital needs of a business in detail, but will also help in optimizing solutions customized for a business. Whether you are looking for digital transformation, data analytics, or data consulting, SVAM International is a leader in developing and delivering bespoke solutions for your business, so you can bank on technology as a tool for your organization.
6 Phases Of Cyber Incident Response Plan

With the increasing rates of cyber attacks on global businesses, the importance of implementing incident response steps and processes to secure systems has risen significantly. Cybersecurity is one of the key services that businesses require to stay afloat in the 3rd decade of the 21st century.

In the first half of 2020 alone, the number of cyber-attacks increased by a whopping 600%. For businesses, this is a noteworthy statistic as they have large amounts of data stored in their systems.

In the case of a breach, the risk to this information stands at a high level. However, the inevitability of these attacks is why most organizations have a cybersecurity incident response plan as part of their cybersecurity processes.

Needless to say, a business requires a robust cybersecurity incident response plan in order to prevent leaks and breaches. In addition, they also need to update their plan to stay safe in cyberspace.

To start with, here are the 6 phases of an effective cybersecurity incident response plan.

The 6 Phases of Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan

Below are the phases of incident management that companies should implement in order to ensure overall security from cyber attacks.

1. Preparing

Preparation is always the first step. As an organization, you will need to accept that there is a looming possibility of a cybersecurity event on the horizon. Align your policies to information sharing, data protection, and network security with your existing infrastructure. Educate your employees about cybersecurity so that they can identify assets and benefit from the incident response plan.

2. Identifying

Identification, as the name suggests, is all about the discovery of a breach. It is the step where you identify if you have been breached or if any of your data has been compromised. If yes, then you will need to further identify the extent, the effect, and the source of the breach.

3. Containment

In this phase of incident response, you throw everything at the problem in order to contain it and mitigate the risks it poses to the organization after an attack has happened. You need to figure out how to contain the effects by considering what systems can be made offline and what can be deleted. Use this phase to derive the long-term and short effects of the attack.

4. Elimination/Solution

This is where you will be addressing the source of the breach and dealing with it in time to avoid being exploited again. This means releasing new patches, removing malicious software, and updating old systems. This cyber incident recovery step helps you clear out any potential risks and start over without compromising any valuable data.

5. Recovering

Recovering is both, coming back from the attack and getting the systems back online after an incident. Needless to say, the recovery part comes after you have patched everything up. This step is all about testing, monitoring, and verifying the changes in the system. Skipping this part may prove to be disastrous.

6. Learning Lessons and Optimizing

While everything else will help you get back up and running after an attack, the last phase of the 6 phases of the incident response plan is about future-proofing your business. Take your learning from this incident and make sure that you are safe in the future.

Your incident response plan for cybersecurity is a blueprint for your organization to fight back in the event of an attack. It needs to be thorough and detailed in order to provide the team with the right steps and the correct guidelines. As a leading managed service provider for cybersecurity, SVAM International is adept in cyber security incident handling with all the latest tools and techniques to safeguard your systems from the looming threat of cyber attacks.

Managed IT Services: The Boon of 2021

Over the course of the last 18+ months, businesses around the world have seen a number of significant changes. The most prevalent of these changes was the rising need for IT professionals and services to keep operations running smoothly. Indeed, systems and technology have become more complex with time. 

As a result, businesses with a Non-IT background are looking for professionals and services that address their technological needs without taking their attention away from their core operations.

As per an estimate, 59% of all IT services today are being addressed with the managed services model instead of the traditional ways of solving IT woes. With the rise of the pandemic, the trend has caught up and is expected to rise as the years pass by. 

Managed IT services are a necessary boost required to propel them to the front of their fields. If you have not yet harnessed the potential of managed services, here are 5 major benefits that will help you gain clarity on the advantages of investing in managed services for your business.

Benefits of Managed IT Services
  • Helping Remote Workers Businesses across the world witnessed the biggest movement to remote working within the first quarter of the year 2020. Managed IT services helped businesses adapt to IT reorientation on the go by supporting them wherever they needed, in terms of both infrastructure and geolocation. 
  • Boosting RPA RPA or robotic process automation is making business processes more resilient, scalable, and practical. With managed services, RPA gets a much-needed boost to accelerate process automation and promote operational efficiency. Additionally, service providers also support a ‘round the clock’ maintenance cycle to nurture the bots to teach them the exception of processes.
  • Saving Costs Medium-sized and small-scale businesses need the cash flow to avoid their operations from breaking down. It is impractical to ask them to allocate large portions of their capital towards developing and maintaining their IT infrastructure. SMBs and SMEs can save their budget by hiring managed services instead of an entire in-house team. They can save significantly on salaries, overheads, and costs incurred in training & infrastructure.
  • Better Security Cybersecurity is quickly becoming the major concern for SMBs globally as the number of attacks targeting smaller businesses has increased manifolds. In fact, 88% of businesses from all over the world have seen some sort of phishing attempt targeting their information. 
    With managed services, you can enjoy an elevated level of information security that protects your systems from unauthorized access and provides you with the tools that you need to keep your business safe.
  • Maintaining Infrastructure Performance With legacy systems and outdated tools, the problem becomes apparent because they fail to keep up with the growing needs. They break down often and become more susceptible to brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access. 
    With managed services, you can keep your IT infrastructure performing at its best all the time by moving to the cloud and letting a dedicated team maintain the application. 

In a nutshell, managed services have become a technological necessity for modern businesses. It is going to continue to add value to the overall digital infrastructure of global organizations in the coming years. 

As the leading managed service provider with more than 30 years of experience in the field, SVAM International has been the partner of several businesses’ growth in their fields. Book your consultation for our managed IT services today.

One of the most important processes in any organization is the accounts payable process. The accounts payable department is responsible for maintaining the cash flow of the organization, preventing any risks and fraud, and keeping vendor relationships healthy.

While it is largely an area of extensive manual work, advancement in Artificial intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has made it possible for businesses to automate and streamline the process. The advancement of robotic process automation in the supply chain has made it possible for companies to keep track of systems and tasks.

This is crucial for time-extensive procedures that can hamper the efficiency of the entire organization.

A report by Kofax states that automation in this process can reduce costs by 81% and improve overall efficiency by 73%. This article discusses the impact of automation on the Accounts Payable process.

Understanding the Accounts Payable Process

  • The team designated to procure a product or service will create a purchase order, which is a contract between the business and the third-party vendor.
  • The order details the basic information about the purchase.
  • The team then examines the shipment to compare it to the original purchase order so a receipt report can be generated.
  • The vendor shares the invoice that shows what they have delivered and at what price. The invoice is then verified/approved by 2 or 3 signature authorities in the organization.

The overall time and cost involved in these steps are why the process requires automation. The manual entries and approval of invoices take up a lot of time, and the variety of formats that invoices come in often causes a lot of issues for the Accounts Payable team as well. In such situations, AI and RPA can largely reduce these time delays and speed up the process significantly.

Apart from the accounts team and departments, the tasks carried out manually by the HR team in the offices are also automated by the RPA. Integrating RPA in HR can help in bringing down manual tasks and ensure efficiency and speed.

The Effect of AI and RPA

On average, it takes anywhere from 4 to 16 days to complete an accounts payable cycle, while manually invoicing and approving payments costs about $23. RPA and AI can help in streamlining these workflows as they can replicate human tasks within a digital environment, which in turn, reduces the cycle time significantly.

In fact, in terms of money, processing one invoice through the use of RPA and intelligent systems only costs $4. In addition to bringing considerable cost and time savings, there are a plethora of other very significant benefits that automation and artificial intelligence can get to the entire accounts payable department.

Here Are Some Of The Significant Benefits:

  • Scanning and converting invoices from different formats to capture the data. This includes physical copies, scan copies, PDFs, emails, and faxes.
  • Classify and sort invoices automatically
  • Check for duplicate invoices and send alerts to relevant departments
  • Validate invoice data
  • Route invoices for fast approvals
  • Automated actions and reminders for payments
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Reduced human error
  • Improved process control for better compliance
  • Enhanced process transparency
  • Improved relations with vendors and increased customer satisfaction
  • Accuracy of data

Your Accounts Payable process needs to be robust and secure in all aspects, which is why it needs the boost of AI and RPA in the system. It can transform how you see your AP process by making it a quick, agile, and efficient process that is less laborious and costs you a fraction. Just like RPA in the supply chain, RPA can automate and fasten everything while minimizing errors to a great extent.

You can get the power of automation through the leading RPA and AI services provider, SVAM International. We have dedicated teams in the US, India, and Mexico alongside a global pool of talent to address all your needs at all times of the day. Book your consultation now.

A decade ago, the idea of hiring talent across the world to work on your project full-time was a concept that was completely unheard of. However, today, more than 3 million workers are employed by staffing agencies every week. With small and medium-sized businesses looking forward to hiring IT talent for their organizational goals, staffing and talent acquisition is expected to keep growing at a steady pace.

But the question that arises is why are businesses outsourcing their staffing needs? It’s becoming a norm because IT staffing and talent acquisition help boost the overall productivity of the business. How? Let’s look at the major reasons behind this:

How Outsourcing Talent Acquisition Can Boost Productivity?
  • Quickly Find Talent The need for talent for all your IT requirements is often urgent because of several factors including shorter project deadlines and dedicated project budget. To avoid lags and delays is the first and foremost priority for you, and thus, with a staffing agency that has access to a global pool of talent, you can fulfill these needs by hiring someone quickly.
  • Reduce Overhead
    • With the staffing agency absorbing a lot of the overhead costs of a new hire, you will be facing a comparatively reduced cost of hiring. This is one of the biggest plus points in the favor of IT staffing as it not only saves you a lot of time but in the long run, saves you money as well.
  • Increase Quality Hires One of the biggest concerns businesses face while hiring or outsourcing the hiring process is to get a quality hire to join their teams. Since you will be paying the new employee and if they are not a good fit, it is a waste of your money. Staffing agencies often screen the employees and create a list of shortlisted candidates based on the needs of the business before selecting someone. Despite everything, the final decision to hire someone still rests with you.
  • Zero Slowdowns or Dips With staffing services, you only get quality employees working for you. The new hires will be able to adapt quickly and respond quickly as they are skilled in responding to varied demands. It will completely stop any slowdowns or dips in the productivity and quality of the organization’s work.
  • You Don’t Have To Worry IT staffing takes the worry of having to hire talent away from you. If an employee is not satisfied or is not able to function at their optimum level, it often leaves a gap in the business that you need to fill quickly. IT staffing agencies take away the time and effort that are required from you and take it upon them to fulfill your needs, so you can concentrate on things that are more critical to business. 

Productivity is often defined as getting more from the same amount of input that goes into a task or operation. With IT staffing and talent acquisition, that is exactly what you are getting. At SVAM International, we tap into a pool of global talent to bring you the best resources for your organization’s IT needs through our staff augmentation, consulting, and staffing services. Get in touch with our experts today and find the perfect fit for your business technology needs.

Cyber-attacks are a prevalent threat in the digital domain as transactions and conversations continue to move towards the digital space. Owing to the current healthcare crisis of a global pandemic, businesses from around the world were forced to move their operations online to be able to reach their audience. Taking advantage of this, hackers and attackers doubled down on their efforts to gain access to unauthorized information especially related to small and medium-sized enterprises. Research by Proof-point found out that more than 88% of businesses worldwide experienced a phishing attack of some kind, which is a worrying statistic. However, what helps businesses in such conditions is to be prepared for these attacks. Here are 5 tips to help SMEs prepare their businesses to be safe from cybersecurity threats. How SMEs can Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  • Update Software Being on the latest version of your tools and software has some advantages for your business as the new and improved version has a better level of security than the old and obsolete versions. A number of cyber attacks are successful simply because the platform was not updated to the latest version.
  • Use Strong Passwords Passwords are a safe way to gain access to all information that is available to the business but they can be cracked or misused. Making strong passwords with at least 3 random words is a good way to start. To make it even stronger, using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols works great. There are several random password generators available that can be used to create strong passwords for your systems. In fact, the best way to do passwords in your business is to create a strong password policy company-wide. 
  • Educate Staff This brings us to the next important point: educate your staff on cybersecurity. Cybint Solutions’s study on global cybersecurity facts states that more than 95% of cyber-attacks happen because of human error. Leaving important information like passwords lying around or sharing too much information with someone untrustworthy is how these things start. But educating employees can greatly reduce risk which is a good place to start securing your business.
  • Install Protective Software Viruses, Malware, and Ransomware are becoming common in the world of cyber threats as people continue to download from and interact with fishy online platforms. These small bits of software infect your digital devices and share your valuable information back to the origin of the attack, which is a concerning fact. Using anti-virus software and keeping them updated to the latest versions is one of the most basic requirements in today’s digital world.
  • Use Cloud Getting rid of old and obsolete legacy systems is another important step you should take to protect your businesses from localized cyber threats. The most common way a hacker can gain unauthorized access to your business is through your legacy system as they are physically available to be tampered with. Moving your system and solutions to the cloud will not only make them fast but also protect them from any kind of cybersecurity threat.
Protecting your business from such threats is now quickly becoming a fundamental part of operating on the internet. Whether it is your e-commerce website or collaboration software within the organization, SVAM International Inc. will take care of all your cybersecurity needs by providing secure development and application management services. Get a thorough assessment and consultation for your business today. Book a conversation with our experts today.
Did you know that only 40% of the developers do exploratory testing as per recent studies? Quality assurance is a vital step in the product and software lifecycle. Lapses in quality assurance can lead to significant problems after the software is launched. However, the field of software quality assurance is plagued with several myths about why it is needed and how long it should ideally take. These myths often harm the expectations of the businesses developing their solutions. Irrespective of what it is – a mobile application, a web application, or a customized solution; you must not let some impractical expectations cause distress or software failure. This blog takes a detailed look at some of the most common myths associated with software quality assurance. Software Quality Assurance Myths You Must Not Believe
  • Development Team Should Write Code Without Bugs While it is common for people from business backgrounds to say that there is no need for quality assurance if the “Development team would write the code without bugs”, there is a lot at play that makes it impossible. Factors including miscommunication, pressure, dependency on other teams, business model complexities, and missed changes can turn into errors that accumulate over time and need a testing phase to check and eradicate. These factors are unavoidable and thus, must be tested by a qualified tester.
  • Testing Should Not Take a lot of Time Even if you only get a button added to your website/application, or a recall function to your software, it is important to understand that testing does take time. For the developer, it may have only been a matter of a few minutes to add a few lines of code, but for the tester, it is necessary to understand the impact of this on the rest of the functionalities as well to ensure proper integration. In fact, testing should start from the early stages of development as it is very unlikely to improve the quality of the complete software in the end.
  • Testing is Clicking at Random Functionalities Most people assume that testing includes clicking on random functionalities and conducting a hit and trial test. The reality is far from it. It is important to explore the entire software’s UI and functionality with well-defined test phases to ensure that the system is integrated and works under exceptional cases as well.
  • Testers Delay Project Delivery Testing often gives a superficial impression that it drags the project unnecessarily. However, bugs, glitches, and wrong codes can increase the project timeline significantly. This can be avoided if you have a pre-planned test cycle.
  • Automated Testing Can be Replaced by an Additional Tester Businesses often think that automated testing is an unjustified expense that they may have to bear. Nevertheless, the truth is that automation in testing is invaluable, especially when implemented correctly. It is great for repeated and regression testing. But can it be replaced completely by an additional human tester? Not in all scenarios. The same is also true for replacing every human tester with automation.
Quality assurance is an inseparable part of the development cycle of every solution, and thus, myths like these should not find any solid ground in the reality of testing. With a specialized team of quality assurance specialists , SVAM International brings the expertise of close to 3 decades of developing specialized solutions for businesses of all scales and sizes. Book your consultation today.
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