An increasing number of companies across Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and the US are falling victim to another cyber attack after the outbreak of recent WannaCry ransomware attack. This large-scale ransomware attack is reported to be caused by a variant of the Petya ransomware and is currently hitting various users. The ransomware is known to use both the EternalBlue exploit and the PsExec tool as infection vectors and is detected as RANSOM_PETYA.SMA by Trend Micro.
Nilesh Jain, Country Manager [India and SAARC], Trend Micro said
Similar to WannaCry ransomware, the Petya ransomware exploits SMB vulnerability, passing through SMB protocol, and exploits vulnerability which lies in Microsoft Operating System. To prevent the ransomware attack, firstly, companies should have proper segmentation of their network, most companies have horizontal network and there is no proper segmentation of network because of which the exploitation spreads very fast.
The critical network and server should be properly segmented so that the penetration does not go beyond the segmentation of the network. Second thing is that companies must deploy host based intrusion firewall. They must enable firewall rule so that they can block the traffic coming from unknown sources. They also should make sure they patch the systems immediately.
Companies who have been impacted should segment their infected areas from the rest of the network, so that it doesn’t propagate further. The problem is that, these kinds of ransomware attacks keep on coming and you cannot keep on patching the moment the attack comes in. Our advice to the companies is to make sure that they have a proactive mechanism of protecting from the vulnerability and to deploy Trend Micro Deep Security which works in the same direction. Trend Micro also protects its customers against this threat through Predictive Machine Learning and other relevant ransomware protection features found in Trend Micro XGen security. Also, our technical support representatives are constantly available to resolve customer queries and we are conducting webinars to create awareness among companies and individuals.
Trend Micro discovered that this Petya variant uses an advanced method to extract information from the infected system. Aside from the use of the EternalBlue exploit, there are other similarities to WannaCry. Like that attack, this Petya variant’s ransom process is relatively simple: it also uses a hardcoded Bitcoin address, making decryption a much more labor-intensive process on the part of the attackers. Petya cleverly uses legitimate Windows processes PsExec and Windows Management Information Command-line [WMIC], which is an interface that simplifies the use of Windows Management Instrumentation [WMI].
Below mentioned are some of the detailed steps that organizations can take to reduce the risk of infection by the variant of petya malware:
Patch and update your systems, or consider a virtual patching solution.
Enable your firewalls as well as intrusion detection and prevention systems.
Proactively monitor and validate traffic going in and out of the network.
Implement security mechanisms for other points of entry attackers can use, such as email and websites.
Disable TCP port 445
Restrict accounts with administrator group access
Deploy application control to prevent suspicious files from executing on top of behavior monitoring that can thwart unwanted modifications to the system.
Employ data categorization and network segmentation to mitigate further exposure and damage to data.
Disable SMB (v1) on vulnerable machines – using either GPO or by following the instructions provided by Microsoft.
Ensure that all of the latest patches [if possible using Virtual Patching solution] are applied to affected operating systems – especially the ones related to MS17-010.
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber-security solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Their innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. With over 5,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world’s most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their journey to the cloud. For more information, please visit Trend Micro
Consumption of cricket-related content exceeded 0.75 billion on UCWeb Platforms – UC News and UC Browser, for the latest edition of IPL 2017 and the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2017, according to a data report, titled Insights into India’s Cricket Frenzy, released by UCWeb.
More than 50 percent of the country’s population logged on to the UCWeb platforms over the last 3 months for cricket scores and updates. More details in the report below
Quikr has released an interesting & insightfulreport titled ‘Usedmobilephonemarket in India’.
Some of the key highlights from the report are below:
Quikr offers two services for used mobile phone transactions : a) Quikr Doorstep: Service to ensure secure transactions between two consumers with delivery handled by Quikr b) Quikr certified: Quikr Certified phones go through 35+points rigorous quality checks and comewith replacement guarantee.
Mobile Post Ad grew by 216% from 2016 vs 2014 indicating an increase in online supply of second hand phones
As newer technologies come, consumers are changing their habits and looking to upgrade phones sooner resulting in shorter replacement cycles
The report throws light on the most preferred brands and the cities that are most active in used phone market. It also spots trends such as – 4G becoming popular, selfie phones not going out of fashion and increase in demand for high end phones.
BookMyShow have announced that it has successfully rolled out its new in-app messaging feature Plan it to all its users on Android as well as on iOS. BookMyShow Plan it allows friends and families to interact with each other in real time, suggesting movies, show times, venue options and eventually complete the movie tickets booking – all without having to toggle between BookMyShow and other instant messaging apps or phone calls to arrive at a decision.
Not only this saves users the hassle of coordinating through endless trails of messages across multiple mobile phone windows, the in app messaging feature also simplifies, aids and enhances the movie booking process. With this, BookMyShow has blended social conversations into its app functionality while building on conversational commerce as the backbone.
BookMyShow Plan it automatically allows users to add friends from their phone books and start chatting. They can either initiate private one-on-one conversations or create a group to start discussions on movies. Similar to other popular instant messaging apps, Plan it supports encrypted conversations, multiple conversation threads at a time, lets users receive notifications, see when their friends are typing a message or are online and know when a message has been read.
Movie watching in India is more of social affair or experience. With this in mind, we integrated Plan it within the BookMyShow app to address a critical pain point of our user- the hassle to switch between multiple modes of communication while arriving at a movie going decision. BookMyShow Plan italso underlines a strong mobile centric approach. A feature such as this made absolute sense to us since over 75% transactions on BookMyShow happen over mobile.
Plan it has been conceived, designed and built by the in-house technology team at BookMyShow, keeping the users and their experience and journey on BookMyShow at the core. We are confident that Plan it will result in increased user engagement on our platform while improving and enhancing the overall experience on BookMyShow.
All BookMyShow app users need to only update their apps to start using this amazing feature and seamlessly interact with their friends and family while making a movie plan. Existing Plan it users can also introduce this feature to others simply extending an invitation to them throughany of the social sharing platforms including Whatsapp, Facebook, or even through SMS. The feature has already facilitated over 130k [1,30,000] movie plans and has more than 70,000 active users per day.
About BookMyShow
BookMyShow is India’s largest online entertainment ticketing platform that allows users to book tickets for movies, plays, sports and live events through its website, mobile app and mobile site. Founded in Mumbai in 1999 and launched in 2007, BookMyShow is now present in over 400 towns and cities across India, currently meeting the entertainment demands of millions of customers. For more information, please visit BookMyShow
Co-working spaces have been on the rise in India and the wave is catching up the interest of the entrepreneur as well as the investor community. The primary advantage that co-working space brings to the table is you can find passionate folks who might have complimentary skills that could be of help in building your startup. Most of these co-working spaces also host number of events around scaling, marketing, design, funding, etc. In order to make startups sustainable, it may be important to involve large businesses in their growth story, and such programs further add more value to co-working spaces [Source].
Couple of weeks back, we had written about GoodWorks CoWork,a design-inspired co-working incubation studio started by serial entrepreneurs Vishwas Mudagal and Sonia Sharma. As per the founders, the major USP of GoodWorks CoWork is that along with office space, entrepreneurs can also use GoodWorkLabs’s expertise in order to polish/validate their idea. GoodWorkLabs is a boutique Software and Mobile App Development Company in India and USA which was started by the duo. Through GoodWorks CoWork, they plan to give back to the entrepreneurial eco-system and angel-fund the startup [in case if they find the idea path-breaking].
We caught up with Vishwas Mudagalfor a chat about this venture, its USP, insights into co-working, etc. So, lets get started…
Can you please give a brief about the team behind GoodWorks CoWork ?
After successfully establishing GoodWorkLabs as a leading new-age Outsourced Product Development Firm [OPD] and UX design studio, Sonia Sharma and myself wanted to use our knowledge to give back to the start-up ecosystem. GoodWorks CoWork was launched to build a thriving start-up community and provide the best ecosystem for them to succeed. Under Sonia’s valuable guidance and thought leadership, and my years of experience in handling startups, co-workers can expect to learn numerous tricks and trades of the industry.
What are some of the pain points your team identified which would be solved if a startup is working out of GoodWorks CoWork ?
As a new entrepreneur, you need to wear multiple hats. The sales guy, the tech guy and the marketing guy, you are constantly juggling between different roles. The most valuable benefit of working out of a coworking space is that it reduces burn-rate and allows investment in core business requirements. Secondly, it reduces the logistical pains of running an office and lastly, it provides the best opportunity for networking.
The objective of GoodWorks CoWork is to help budding entrepreneurs grow their business without the hassles of managing operations and logistics. Through GoodWorks CoWork, we aim at creating a perfect ecosystem for startups to nurture their growth.
There has been a plethora of co-working spaces that have been recently started in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, etc. what are some of the USPs of GoodWorks CoWork vis-a-vis other co-working spaces in the city.
Apart from providing world class services, I think what really sets us apart is our unique approach to coworking. The USPs are as follow:
Design-inspired coworking space – We provide creative, design inspired coworking spaces for our coworkers. Every element in the coworking space has been selected after considerable thought. The wall décor, the seating layout, the lighting structures and overall ambience have a creative undertone. We want to encourage creativity and innovative thinking in this space. We also have inspirational posters and graffiti on the walls to keep the community motivated at all times.
The possibility of getting funded – After successfully establishing GoodWorkLabs as a world-leading and award-winning new-age software lab and design studio, the founders are now all set to provide seed investment to upcoming start-ups and extend our Thought Leadership to help businesses grow. We plan to choose upto three promising start-ups annually that have a ‘real’ business/revenue model and growth potential and plan to invest anywhere between Rs. 20 lakhs ~ Rs. 1 Crore.
Consultation with In-House Experts – We have an in-house team of management consultants to help get the basics in place for your company. Start-ups can book a time with our experts to discuss problems and issues related to HR, Finance, Marketing, Design and Branding faced by the company.
The founders also act as mentors to the startups selected by us and support them through every step of their startup journey.
Can you please walk us through the application process for GoodWorks CoWork ?
GoodWorks CoWork was started to help budding entrepreneurs grow their business without the hassle of sweating about Operations & Support Services. So we’re open to any startup, entrepreneur or small business owners who are passionate about their new venture. Our space provides all the facilities needed to run a company smoothly without logistical hassles.
Is your team looking into particular sectors that a startup operates in or is GoodWorks CoWork open to startups in any sector ?
We are open to all sectors, there is no restriction as such. However, most of the queries we have received is primarily from the IT and Design sectors. However, we do not want to be limited to these two sectors only.
Given that GoodWorkLabs is a pioneer in the software industry. What are some of the areas where GoodWorkLabs can be of support to the companies in GoodWorks CoWork ?
GoodWorkLabs brings tremendous insights and valuable learning to cowork division, this aspect is one of our main USP’s. We provide consulting services for design, software development, android development, iOS development to name a few. The startups can really benefit from all these services which would be very unique in nature.
Vishwas, you as an entrepreneur have seen ups & downs, what is one best reason why a startupper has to choose working out of a co-working space vis-a-vis working out of SOHO
Coworking encourages networking and collaboration. Entrepreneurs, space providers, thought leaders, investors and mentors come together and exchange value with each other creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem. Also, working amidst various people, observing and adopting diverse work cultures can increase productivity as it helps maintain a professional outlook and also helps create your own identity.
This congenial environment doesn’t only foster interesting and divergent work, but also encourages knowledge sharing and instils a sense of ownership. Communicating regularly on work topics, trending news and exchanging jokes helps build a healthy environment for entrepreneurs.
Working out of a small office from your home closes all doors to such knowledge sharing and networking opportunities which are integral to your business growth.
GoodWorks CoWork is currently operational in how many cities and what are the future expansion plans ?
Currently, we have one co-working space in Whitefield, Bengaluru and the response has been overwhelming. We want to become one of the largest players in the premium coworking and shared office market with a Pan India presence. We will continue to provide creative, design inspired coworking spaces for startups, freelancers and entrepreneurs encouraging the shared economy. We believe that GoodWorks CoWork is not just a workspace. It’s a way of life & a path to success!
Apart from the business idea, what are some of the key things your team looks into while assessing the applications for Angel Investment ?
We will be selecting startups who demonstrate an idea that solves ‘real’ business problems and must be able to sustain itself. The startups will receive intense mentoring and training over a period of time and they are expected to iterate rapidly. So we are open to any startup, entrepreneur or small business owners who are passionate about their new venture. Our space provides all the facilities needed to run a company smoothly without logistical hassles. As mentioned apart from mentoring, the basic administrative facilities will be taken care of and most importantly, you will get free tech-consulting services with our team.
Vishwas, you don multiple hats [serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, etc.], how do you manage time ? [especially for founders since they need to get priorities right] ?
I won’t lie to you by saying it’s easy. It’s incredibly hard to balance different roles. I am a CEO during the days and a storyteller by night and weekends. I wish I had 48 hours in a day. I have so many stories to tell, and I have so many business ideas to execute. Our group companies GoodWorkLabs and GoodWorks CoWork are doing some incredible work right now, so things are hectic.
However, it is my passion that drives me and if you’re passionate enough you’ll find the time to do it.
Can you share some tips for building an effective team for startups [especially the initial core team] ?
Building the core team is one of the most critical factors that leads to the success of a startup. It is important to attract and hire the people who have the same values and reflect the same ideologies as the founding members. It’s easy to lose track of the goal and get lost in the initial days, if everyone’s not on the same page. The core team must believe in the idea as strongly as the founding members. No matter how many years of experience or how well educated the person may be – if he isn’t convinced about your proposition, it’s not going to be a fruitful partnership.
You have witnessed ups & downs in your career [shutting down of your startup than bouncing back], how according to you should entrepreneurs deal with such adverse situations and how they can keep themselves motivated so that they can bounce back ?
I have experimented a lot in my life. I have tried so many different fields, done random experiments, failed, succeeded, and all that. I usually tell budding entrepreneurs – ‘Be shameless. Experiment. That’s the only way to identify your true passion.‘ If I had not experimented by being shameless, I would never have identified my passions of writing and entrepreneurship.
With push for Digital India, sectors like Fintech, etc. what are some of the areas that might catch entrepreneur’s & investor’s interest in 2017 ?
There are many emerging markets and it’s vital for investors to keep an eye on what’s happening in these sectors. I am closely watching sectors related to – AI, AR, Machine learning, AR, VR, IOT, organic farming, renewable tech, REG [REGULATION TECH] and eGovernance and believe they are the future to look out for.
VC Funding or Bootstrapping, your thoughts on the same and when should a founder look out for institutional funding
Both VC Funding and Bootstrapping have their pros and cons. With bootstrapping, it’s a lot harder as the founders have invested their own money, scalability is a lot tougher and a much longer process when if comes to bootstrapped companies. On the other hand, getting funded doesn’t make the journey any easier. Companies will be giving away stake to investors and with it their freedom – you’ll have to be answerable to the investors and need their approvals for every step that the company takes.
However, the right time to apply for funding is when the startup has a Minimal Viable Product [MVP] and some traction or successful pilot to validate their business model.
Any books that you recommend and when would your next novel/book hit the market ?
Ayn Rand is my favorite author. Her book The Fountainhead influenced me deeply during my college days. It’s the perfect book to gift. I also enjoy reading Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, Sydney Sheldon, & Jeff Archer among others. So people can gift me a range of books! I like reading science fiction, thrillers, adventures, and many more genres. But I usually stay away from books that are boring. I have very little patience.
My next novel is completed and in the final stages of editing. It’s an exciting trilogy that I’m thrilled about, I’m hoping that it hits the market sometime in December. I will be announcing more details about the story and launch plans shortly.
We thank Vishwas for his time and sharing valuable insights with our readers! If you have any questions for Vishwas about GoodWorks CoWork, startups, funding, technology, etc., please email them to himanshu.sheth@gmail.com or leave your question in the comments section.
Confederation of All India Traders [CAIT], the country’s largest trade body, Acer, one of the largest PC companies in the world and Tally Solutions, India’s leading business software provider, have announced the launch of BIZGURU, a one-stop plug and play business solution for all accounting and GST compliance needs.
BizGuru comes with Acer’s world-renowned PC products and pre-installed Tally.ERP 9, the country’s preferred business software. The initiative is supported by CAIT, who have been helping Indian traders embrace new technology for the last decade.
The introduction of Goods and Services Tax [GST] is a remarkable step in the reform of indirect taxation. It offers a great opportunity to organizations of all sizes and sectors to transform and enhance their shift into the digital economy. One of the biggest challenges for the small businesses and traders is to understand the enormity of GST and adopt real time implementation of it. Therefore, there comes the need of a comprehensive IT solution that would enable smooth implementation of GST and will help businesses in digital transformation.
Acer and Tally have been pioneers in introducing innovative products and solutions while CAIT brings with it the country’s largest network of traders. With GST coming in, considering a dire need to upload digitized transactions for invoice matching; they have joined hands to introduce – BizGuru. This solution will cater to all small businesses and traders across India who are currently using manual methods of accounting.
From Left Harish Kohli, Managing Director at Acer India, Praveen Khandelwal, General Secreatary at CAIT, Tejas Goenka, Executive director at Tally Solutions
Acer’s GST customized range of computers perfectly complements Tally’s software, Tally.ERP 9 which will be pre-installed and give businesses peace of mind that by merely switching on the solution, they can get up and running with accounting and GST compliance. This will make BizGuru a compelling GST solution in the market.
Furthermore, CAIT will lead the way in reaching out to the traders and small businesses with the solution and helping the community get GST ready. Tally’s education arm will also provide a certification programme to train the traders on the solution.
Speaking on the occasion, Harish Kohli, President and Managing Director, Acer India said
We are excited to bring in an exclusive GST Solution, BizGuru, along with CAIT and Tally to offer a unique Plug and play solution to the customer. We are committed towards providing innovations that will help all businesses to expeditiously become accustomed to GST requirements, thus enabling them to focus on their core business and accelerate their growth journey in this digital era.
As the GST journey began in the country, we realized that many traders have not felt the need to automate but with GST this will be difficult to live without because of the need to upload transactions for invoice matching. We are happy to have come together with CAIT & Acer to deliver Biz Guru, a complete and affordable plug and play solution which will help the trader community automate their business and comply with GST. Pre-installed Tally which accountants are well versed with means that there are no hassles for the business owner and even if they want to learn an otherwise easy solution, we will extend support there too.
B.C Bhartia, President CAIT and Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, CAIT added
The GST taxation system is completely different from the earlier taxation system and hence a comprehensive, easy to use solution is the need of the hour. It is imperative that small businesses and traders adopt technology and understand procedures of compliance. At a time when the Government is moving towards e-governance, the businesses cannot remain aloof from technology. BizGuru is infused with a wide range of features that will meet the business requirements and customer expectations with the GST roll-out.
Considering that certain queries from customers are generic in nature with regards to BHIM, NPCI has developed a common website for dissemination of information through videos and infographics.
The website will meet the needs of the customers for general information on BHIM and incentive programmes launched by the government in the form of BHIM referral programmes. Through simple tools like product videos, customer can have self-learning instead of calling banks and NPCI.
Customers can be benefited by knowing how to transact online using BHIM App through their mobile phones along with information pertaining to the number of banks and merchants live on BHIM. Currently there about 50 banks availing UPI services and customers of these banks can make use of any UPI application. BHIM is a generic UPI application developed and supported by NPCI. Once the customer downloads the application, the customer can customise it for his/her bank.
NPCI has also increased its social media presence by consistently updating information through our verified social media handles. Customers can also make use of the dedicated phone number for BHIM 022 – 45414740and verified social media Twitter page @NPCI_BHIM for their queries.
About NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India [NPCI] was set up in 2009 as the central infrastructure for various retail payment systems in India and was envisaged by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the payment utility in the country. For more information, please visit NPCI
Flipkart announced a one-of-a-kind hackathon to crowdsource innovative, implementable solutions from the tech community and concerned citizens, that could help ease Bengaluru’s perennial traffic problem. Termed Gridlock Hackathon, the initiative marks the start of the ‘Month of Innovation’ at Flipkart, a part of its 10 year anniversary celebrations.
The contest will run from June 7, 2017 until June 21, 2017 and is open for technology centric solutions, as well as those that partially leverage technology through out-of-the-box thinking.
Key Highlights
Hackathon to crowdsource innovative tech solutions to help ease Bengaluru’s traffic issues
Flipkart was born in Bengaluru as an innovative tech company that has over the years changed the way India shops. We believe in open innovation which means that society at large should benefit from whatever we do as a company.
Gridlock Hackathon is an important part of our 10th anniversary celebrations and we want to engage with tech folks as well as citizens to try to collectively find some innovative solutions to Bengaluru’s traffic woes. The idea is to give back in some way to the city we all love, and ensure it retains the vibrant ecosystem that has been a major catalyst in the growth story of Flipkart and so many other companies.
The hackathon will initially run online and participants can submit tech or partially-tech solutions for macro problems like Bengaluru’s overall traffic, or traffic snares in specific areas like Silk Board, KR Puram, etc. All entries will be judged on parameters like impact, feasibility, scalability and sustainability, and completeness. The teams or individuals with the best entries will get a chance to present their solutions to a panel of esteemed jury, who will pick the best 3 ideas.
