• Russia tests a ‘Great Firewall’ of its own.
• Big technology companies complicit with oppressive regimes.

Taking a leaf out of China’s internet playbook, Russia recently trialled the mechanisms it may use to create its own version of the ‘Great Firewall of China.’

According the the Russian censorship authority Roskomnadzor, citizens in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia were unable to access internet properties outside Russia for up to 24 hours as part of annual testing of a purely internal ‘internet.’ The initial English language report of the incident appeared on the website of neoconservative pressure group, the Institute for the Study of War, although the relevant page has since been removed.

The outage took place 6-7 December. Access to VPNs that may have allowed citizens to circumvent the block is limited inside Russia.

Many sites hosted outside its borders are already blocked or have access to them throttled from Russia, with popular services like YouTube effectively unusable by Russians. These strictures and the alleged tested blanket bans imposed in the three Southwestern Russian regions epitomise the ongoing hostility between Russia and the West. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, for example, are unavailable in Russia without use of a VPN, and even that possibility is becoming more remote.

The Great Firewall, no VPNs

As part of a crackdown on what the state authorities consider unsuitable parts of the internet, the Russian government has made the removal of VPN apps from the Apple App Store necessary for the company to continue operations in the country. To date, Apple has responded favourably to government requests to remove the contentious apps from its App Store in more than 60 instances, in a mirror of its craven responses to similar insistence by the Chinese government. Dissemination of information about how to access VPN services is currently a criminal offence in Russia [site in Russian].

Russia has invested heavily in its internet infrastructure since around 2019, and part of that injection has been used to develop technology that can effectively segment Russia from the global internet, preventing Russian citizens getting access to internet properties that might dispute the veracity of messages put out by Russian state media. In a tale as old as the history of despotic regimes, and eerily-familiar to APAC readers, control of access to media outlets and censorship of dissenting voices inside a country allow governments to act without meaningful criticism.

Although individual businesses and organisations across the rest of the world have made decisions to cease trading with Russia, some in response to US embargoes on the country, many large technology companies have chosen a path of least resistance and maximum income by continuing operations on Russian and Chinese soil under strictures imposed by the states.

Apple builds a walled Gulag

Earlier this year, the Chinese government ordered Apple to take down encrypted messaging apps from its App Store, including Telegam, Signal and WhatsApp. At the time, the company stated that it was “obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”

The process by which Apple removes VPNs from its App Store in Russia should run smoothly thanks to the practice the company has had in the past. Apple began removing VPNs from its store in China in 2017 so that citizens wouldn’t be able to access media sources deemed as showing content disrespectful to Xi Jinping or otherwise disruptive of what Chinese authorities at the time termed an “orderly internet.”

Big technology companies’ obligations to human decency come third place to their obligations to continue to trade in oppressive states, and ongoing obligations to shareholders who insist that dividends keep being paid.

The post Moscow trials a ‘Great Firewall of Russia’ appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In a January 2023 shareholder letter, the streaming giant claimed that upwards of 100 million people worldwide access the site using borrowed accounts, undermining Netflix’s “long term ability to invest in and improve” its service. In an effort to curb the practise, Netflix is now introducing a paid option for users wishing to share passwords outside their immediate household.

Following its initial trial in Latin America in 2022, the new policy has been rolling out worldwide since February this year. The first quarter of 2023 showed a significant subscriber exodus in Spain, one of the first territories affected by the change. Early data from the US, however, suggested the crackdown is having its desired effect for Netflix, with 73,000 average daily sign-ups between May 25 and May 28 – a 102% increase on the previous 60-day average. It is therefore likely that the policy is here to stay, despite a general uptick in cancellations – and the situation has created an ideal opportunity for cybercriminals.

Check Point Research, Threat Intelligence division of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd., has identified numerous illicit businesses selling low-cost Netflix subscriptions on the dark web.

Researchers have identified a number of channels affiliated with these criminal portals on Telegram, the secure messaging app. Illicit groups sell access to Netflix’s monthly Premium plan through these channels for as little as 190 Indian rupees (just over €2, or US$2.90). These channels claim and promote “full access, effectiveness and legitimacy” to entice potential buyers.

Accounts sold through these portals are typically linked to other online crimes. They are often obtained from compromised credentials or breached user data. Consequently, criminal groups can offer significantly reduced prices, reaping full profits without incurring any costs.

It is also important to highlight that, like any criminal enterprise, these criminals may not uphold their end of the bargain. Check Point Research encountered several instances where users either failed to gain access to the accounts they had purchased, or had their access blocked after a few days, weeks, or months.

Individuals are advised to be wary of paying for unofficial subscription plans. To protect their own data and credentials, Netflix users are additionally strongly advised to restrict shared access to their accounts, and to ensure that accounts are properly secure. To assist with this, Check Point advises the following:

•   Lengthy and diverse passwords: Increase password complexity by using a combination letters (upper and lower case), symbols, and numbers. Longer passwords are harder for criminals to solve, because each new character adds exponentially more options.
•     Memorable but difficult to guess: Avoid using personal data such as birthdays, names of family members, or easily discoverable information. What may be easier for the user is also easier for criminals to crack.
•     Unique passwords: Avoid reusing passwords across different accounts. If you use the same password across multiple accounts and an attacker compromises just one of those accounts, they will gain unrestricted access to all other registered services. This obviously makes remembering passwords more difficult, so consider using a password manager to securely store and manage passwords.
•     Keep passwords private: Never share passwords with anyone or store them in close proximity to a computer. Use password manager tools for secure storage. If any suspicious activity is detected on your account – new profiles or unusual content playback, for example – immediately change your password and check for unauthorized access.

“Cybercriminals often exploit users’ needs and desires, aligning their attacks with ongoing trends,” Eusebio Nieva, Technical Director of Check Point Software for Spain and Portugal, explains. “As with any other domain, it is important to remember that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Reducing demand is an effective way to counter illegitimate sales on the [d]ark [w]eb and subsequently disrupt revenue streams from these services.”

The post Netflix crackdown creates surge in illicit subscription trade appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Despite many companies investing more money than ever in advanced cybersecurity tools and technology, experts believe cyberattack costs for U.S. businesses will rise dramatically in 2023.

Professional cybercriminals and nation-state threat actors carrying out highly sophisticated attacks continue to make the biggest headlines. However, based on trends, it’s safe to assume many incidents will still result from incredibly effective and hard-to-spot threats such as phishing and social engineering attacks.

Attacks such as these—despite requiring less technical ability—are still effective at getting past even the most advanced cybersecurity technology today because they prey on human error, which—according to a study by IBM—is responsible for 95% of all cybersecurity breaches.

To combat these threats and reduce the likelihood of human error leading to an incident, companies supplement their cybersecurity technology with employee training programs. When implemented effectively, these programs can improve employee cyber knowledge and reduce the risk of an employee falling victim to an attack. At a time when the average breach costs millions, this training is more important than ever.

Here are three tips to consider to help improve your company’s cybersecurity training program.

Simulate attacks to improve behaviors

The old adage “practice makes perfect” rings true¾especially when it comes to cybersecurity training. But how can companies “practice” spotting and preventing various types of cyberattacks? Through simulations!

There are few better ways to teach employees how to recognize, avoid, and report potential threats than simulating the attacks they may encounter in the real world.

Thankfully, several companies and programs—many delivered in an easy-to-use software as a service (SaaS) model—exist today to help organizations strengthen their security by generating phishing, malware, and other common cyberattacks employees may face. These test campaigns are then carried out against staff members, who are required to spot and prevent these hacking attempts.

These simulations of real-world, relevant scenarios can help increase employee vigilance and better prepare staff for threats they may face in a no-stakes environment. An environment of positive reinforcement means employees are more likely to report suspected phishing/smishing attempts¾even when it turns out their suspicions were unwarranted. This may mean more reports to check, but more awareness ¾and wariness ¾of employees.

Reduce fear fatigue with small steps and add context around threats

It seems like every week a new cyberattack makes headlines. This inundation of news has led to a dangerous phenomenon known as “fear fatigue,” which is defined as the “desensitization from repeated exposure to the same message over time.”

According to a survey conducted by Malwarebytes, 80% of the respondents reported some level of “fear fatigue” related to cybersecurity. This fear fatigue is dangerous and can result in careless behavior capable of leading to significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities and risks.

To combat fear fatigue and remind employees their actions are critical to the overall security of the company, organizations can begin by taking small steps. Companies could consider starting by implementing company-wide password protocols. Mandating employees change their passwords every several months and implementing two-factor authentication are simple but powerful reminders for employees to be active participants in their company’s overall cybersecurity posture.

Companies could also consider adding context to communications around cybersecurity to help employees understand the real-world consequences of a potential incident. One example is by noting the potential monetary impact a cyber incident may have on employee bonuses and salaries, among other things.

Implement a zero-trust, least-privilege environment and become Secure by Design

Despite every company’s best efforts, relying on employees to prevent cyberattacks will never be a completely foolproof plan. Therefore, every organization should also look to implement zero-trust cybersecurity and an environment of least privileges.

At its core, the zero-trust cybersecurity security model closely guards company resources while operating under the “assume breach” mentality. This means every request to access company information or services is verified to help prevent any unauthorized network access.

Similarly, an environment of least privileges can act as a safeguard against unwanted access to software, services, servers, hardware, etc. from accounts that don’t need that access. Ensuring proper access controls with regular assessments and updates helps restrict the attack surface greatly.

At a time when more companies are embracing long-term hybrid workplaces, zero trust, and least privilege are powerful tools to help prevent and mitigate vulnerabilities.

Moving forward, organizations should create products and software that are Secure by Design, with safety features built in. Taking a Secure by Design approach means focusing on people, infrastructure, and software development to enhance the company’s security infrastructure. If organizations follow this new model, it can help prevent and mitigate future cyberattacks.

The post Three tips for improving your company’s cybersecurity training appeared first on TechWire Asia.

The move to the cloud – which underpins so much of business technology today – is often motivated by an organization’s desire to drive cost reductions, as well as reap its agility and scalability benefits.

While these benefits are real, many organizations have discovered that without the right architecture and governance, the desired cost reductions fail to materialize.

The cost of cloud adoption is fast becoming a challenge for organizations across Asia Pacific to manage, with cloud bills estimated to go up by 30% year-on-year.

This has come into focus over the past year, as organizations have renewed their focus on profits. No longer can organizations satisfy their investors with growth alone. Profitable growth is essential for organizational success.

In December 2022, The Asian Development Bank revised its 2023 economic outlook for APAC downward by 0.3 percentage points from its forecast in September. Compounding these macroeconomic challenges is the rising cloud costs that organizations contend with. According to a study of enterprises by S&P Global Market Intelligence in 2022, more than half of tech buyers surveyed said they had spent more than their allocated public cloud budgets the year before.

As such, business leaders will have to re-evaluate their cloud options as they focus on operational efficiency and cost visibility in the new year. What then is the solution to these emerging challenges, and an organization’s evolving cloud needs while they seek to manage costs?

Here are three considerations for IT and business leaders when they are deciding on their cloud platform:

Benefits of the cloud: Cost transparency and accountability

In this economic climate, affordable pricing is high on the agenda.

Central to keeping costs manageable is a clear and unified view of an organization’s billing and usage. It is crucial for organizations to work with a provider that can organize their data, and provide them with a unified view, enabling them the ability to trace costs and usage information.

This will help provide cost transparency and accountability across the organization, so resources can be scaled quickly, according to real-time business needs.

Financial Operations, or FinOps for short, has been created as a new discipline to help organizations manage the financial challenges of cloud, by bringing together cross-functional teams, including Finance, IT, and DevOps, in a collaborative effort to control costs.

A key factor influencing cloud costs is vendor lock-in. After an initial rush to capture the perceived benefits of cloud, many organizations find themselves beholden to a single provider with significant switching costs. Vendor lock-in presents a key challenge, with many organizations having no choice but to continue upping their cloud spending.

Third-party optimization tools and services can help support a FinOps culture within organizations by providing relevant insights into how and where its cloud budget is being spent. For example, cloud usage insights can help sales teams when they are reviewing quotations for potential and present clients alike. And at the same time, help DevOps teams understand which service features are most in demand, and which are not.

A cloud-smart approach to selecting workloads

Enterprises must seek to align the right workload to the right cloud platform based on their technology and business needs.

Instead of arbitrarily deploying workloads to any available cloud, this means auditing workloads and understanding what they need to run most effectively. This workload-first approach would enable organizations to benefit from a breadth of providers serving multiple needs without worrying about complex processes or high costs.

Another approach to consider is investigating alternative cloud options with a forward-looking view. This would be crucial for IT decision-makers to maintain visibility and autonomy of their organization’s IT direction. As they weigh their options, they should ensure that their chosen cloud offering is able to provide flexibility, with services that can be modified according to a company’s business needs and with an organization charged for only what they eventually consume.

In a multi-cloud environment, this means that enterprises can shop cloud workloads to better predict and optimize the cost of cloud. The right provider will offer enterprises the flexibility to choose the most optimal workloads to host in a multi cloud environment.

Zolvit, a legal tech start-up and India’s largest Governance, Risk, and Compliance service provider, faced a similar challenge of managing their cloud infrastructure across several cloud providers because of the increasing complexity of managing the customer experience and keeping up with cost and maintenance requirements.

A key concern was initially how it could manage its workloads, from development and staging to QE and production, while minimizing deployment times to power, scale, and accelerate these different workloads and applications securely around the globe. With Akamai Cloud Computing, Zolvit is estimated to save close to 30% on their IT expenses and has started to benefit from higher performance delivery per dollar, a sign that developers were more productive in staging environments, deployment, and in ensuring the right amount is being used for the right workloads.

Cloud benefits: prioritizing the developer experience and an open-source framework

While some enterprises may feel locked in with their existing hyperscale clouds, there are also now more open-source technology and tooling options that enable enterprises to build, run and secure applications from the cloud.

Organizations should take a cloud-native view, by selecting tools and processes that operate consistently across multiple providers, as opposed to a platform-native architecture which leverages the proprietary tools of a single cloud provider.

In fact, one of the biggest benefits of these developments is that developers can now move faster as a result – thus speeding up the rate of innovation globally, and in our region. This means that as cloud adoption continues to grow in Asia Pacific, we can expect the speed of innovation to grow at the same time.

Developer productivity is as pivotal to business success in the cloud as core elements like performance, security, cost, service, and global footprint to the edge. With developers often regarded as the engine room of modern digital innovation, it is crucial that cloud resources work for them, and account for their needs of ease of use, simplicity, and programmability from the platforms where they deploy apps.

Findings by Techstrong Research has revealed that the cloud landscape is changing as buyers increasingly put the developer experience on the same footing as core technical and performance capabilities of cloud infrastructure services.

As such, when selecting a cloud provider and solution for the organization, a consideration should be made as to whether the offering is intuitive for a developer’s use. For example, if developer-friendly IaaS and PaaS platforms are offered to make it easy for them to set up a virtual machine or container to build and run applications.

From the cloud to the edge – how organizations can remain fast and agile as they scale globally

In the coming years, as 5G and IoT gains ground, enterprises will have a growing need for a continuum of compute from the cloud to the edge, to be closer to where billions of end users are, and tens of billions of connected devices will be.

However, as cloud becomes critical across every kind of organization in Asia Pacific, so will the complexity and cost of running it. Enterprise IT teams will need to rise to the challenge of meeting a large and growing number of requirements, from application performance to infrastructure scaling to security, data sovereignty, all while managing costs in a challenging economic environment.

Security is also another vital component to any multi-cloud setup, as cybersecurity threats continue to plague all businesses, and the cloud presenting another in-road for cybercriminals to exploit organizations’ weaknesses within their cloud infrastructure.

Ultimately, cloud platforms must have global reach, significant outbound network capacity, and high data security capabilities to keep up with the rapid growth in scale and complexity of enterprise workloads. Organizations should make every effort to ensure that their chosen cloud platform and provider are able to understand and account for these needs, as they continue to navigate their digital future.

The views in the article are that of the author and may not reflect the views of this publication. 

The post How organizations can reap the benefits of cloud, without cloud bill shock appeared first on TechWire Asia.

A month after it emerged that protesters in China were using the AirDrop function on iPhones to digitally share anti-government flyers with strangers without their consent, Apple began limiting file-sharing for Chinese iPhone users last week.

In what is apparently the latest in a string of incidents, Apple appears to be conceding to Chinese demands to block the spread of content deemed inflammatory to the government — but can it also be construed as Apple doubling down on its privacy and security pledges, and preventing misuse of its Airdrop universal share option to all Apple devices within a certain range?

See also: Apple retakes top spot in China smartphone market

Under the update to the AirDrop function last week, users of smartphones sold by Apple in China can only opt in to receive files from non-contacts during a 10-minute window, before it automatically shuts off. The feature did not previously have a time limit in China, or anywhere else.

The update was rolled out in the iOS operating system practically overnight, and makes it next-to-impossible to receive unrequested files from strangers. The change follows widespread reports of people using AirDrop to spread leaflets critical of the Chinese Communist Party in crowded public spaces — a digital version of a protest that was partly inspired by an incident in Beijing in which a man hung banners calling for the removal of President Xi Jinping.

As per their usual practice, Chinese censors quickly scrubbed online videos and posts appearing on the mainland that made reference to the protest, while hundreds of users on the popular payment and chat app WeChat had their accounts blocked after speaking about the rare act of rebellion. Apple declined AFP‘s request for comment on the record but the company is now understood to be planning a roll out of the Airdrop feature update across the globe.

Apple phones sold outside mainland China did not appear to be affected by the update last week, while iPhones sold in China displayed the limit regardless of which country the user’s App Store account was based in. The description for users said the update “includes bug fixes and security updates”.

Airdrop update highlights the cost of doing business in China

The world’s most valuable company based out of  Cupertino, California, touts security and privacy protections as key features of its device ecosystem, but has previously faced criticism for alleged concessions to Beijing.

Following widescale Western sanctions and a stifling zero-Covid policy that have derailed its international technological cooperation and thrown manufacturing supply chains into disarray, including for locally made iPhones, China is seen by observers as becoming increasingly repressive as President Xi Jinping embarks on his third term as the country’s most powerful figure.

“This is one small sample of a type of China cost…that’s making China much less appealing as a investment and manufacturing destination for many global multinationals many global companies,” Isaac Stone Fish, CEO of Strategy Risks, told AFP. “Apple has to understand the very real risks of being overly exposed to China in 2022.”

Other apparent concessions included opening a data center in China, as well as removing an app in 2019 that allowed Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters to keep track of police. It has also faced boycott threats in China as it stands in the crossfire of US-China tensions, with Beijing warning in 2020 that it could turn its citizens against Apple if Washington blocked Chinese apps.

Some Chinese social media users last week hailed the iPhone update as a positive step in preventing unsolicited messages from strangers. One Weibo user said the change would “greatly reduce the probability of iPhone users being harassed”.

A handful questioned why the function was only being rolled out on Chinese iPhones, with one Weibo commenter joking about Apple CEO Tim Cook’s friendliness with Beijing: “So is Tim Cook a Party member or not?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

With reporting by Jing Xuan TENG © Agence France-Presse

The post Apple limiting Airdrop file-sharing in China – kowtow or privacy champion? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

However, it’s a whole new different ballgame when it comes to data leaks from official databases, such as government institutions or commercial entities such as credit agencies. 

The 2021 Malaysian government data leak 

In late September last year, a Twitter post by Malaysian Cyber Intelligence Specialist Adnan Shukor broke disturbing news that the personal identities and information of approximately four million Malaysian citizens were on sale on a popular leak site.

In that incident, it was claimed by the seller on the site that these are “fresh” data obtained by the Malaysian National Registration Department (NRD), or, Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN). 

Tech Wire Asia spotted the original source originating from the online seller, who wanted 0.2 BTC (US$8,480, or, RM 35,459) for the entire list comprising information on four million Malaysians.

The information peddled was extremely comprehensive, including details such as the citizen’s full name, date of birth, email, gender, contact number, and residential and mailing addresses.

This information was contained in a JSON file and also uploaded as evidence of the goods:

More concerningly, a related leak of data from 4 million taxpayers from the country’s Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), was also being sold by a different user, in a similar file format. 

Unlike the NRD database, this contained information such as the individual’s name and personal details, as well as household incomes, and similar information on their spouses.

Attitudes towards data protection

Globally, users who utilize online platforms or sites and share and post personal information of themselves are getting increasingly aware of the importance of keeping such data secure. 

Half a decade back, most people wouldn’t give much of a thought to data security, although the Cambridge Analytica scandal did rock the world and bring the issue to the fore.

However, it seems Facebook — sorry, Meta — has not learned its lesson.

Over in Southeast Asia, tech giants have been taken to task for data privacy breaches, with a prominent one being Grab.

However, over in Malaysia, there’s only a handful of players championing the cause for stronger data protection and its associated policies. 

One is Sinar Project, a civic tech initiative using open technology, open data, and policy analysis to promote accessibility of information to the Malaysian people. In recent times, they’ve also explored digital rights, but with a lesser focus less on the tech, and more on policymaking.

Conversely, the IO Foundation (TIOF) sees the problem of digital rights as a tech issue more than a policy or political issue. TIOF is an international non-profit based in Malaysia that envisions a world where the digital rights of users are protected — by design. 

TIOF’s Spanish-French founder, Jean F Queralt, is no stranger to Southeast Asia and has been contending with this issue for the last twenty years. TIOF also advocates that the digital rights of users be on par with human rights, especially since we are fast hurtling into an age of excessive data and digital identities. 

Both The IO Foundation and Sinar Project regularly conduct training workshops and seminars to educate the public as well as private sector players and civil servants.

Evangelizing data protection and the PDPA

Tech Wire Asia reached out to some cybersecurity experts and had the opportunity to speak to Fong Choong Fook (or CF Fong), Director of LE Global Services, an IT security MSP, on the data breaches, as well as data security and data privacy.

Data security and privacy laws in Southeast Asia generally still leave much to be desired. Both Singapore and Malaysia have laws concerning these, called the Personal Data Protection Act, commonly referred to as PDPA. 

Both these acts regulate the processing of personal data by companies or within commercial transactions in Singapore and Malaysia, so as to safeguard the personal data of users and customers from misuse.

Alas, it’s not that we don’t have laws and regulations here for data protection and data privacy. The issue is that, despite the existence of these laws, data breaches and leaks still happen.

It is especially worrying in Malaysia, where highly sensitive information of over four million citizens can be brazenly sold online for as little as RM 35,495 (US$8400).

It’s a double whammy, in that this alone shows just how insultingly little our data is valued, and how easy it is to access these data, which can expose the victim to a litany of digital, financial, and even physical risks. 

Importance of data protection and the PDPA

Fong shared that the public sector, i.e. both the Federal and State governments themselves, as well as their related bodies, are not bound by the PDPA. 

It is interesting to note the irony of the Malaysian government imposing the PDPA on companies (or those engaging in commercial transactions) to safeguard personal data — yet are themselves allegedly incapable of protecting highly confidential citizen data. 

Whether these data leaks are through digital or physical means is irrelevant. 

The fact of the matter is that these leaks have happened, and the damage has been done — the personal, highly sensitive, and powerful data of citizens are now on the world wide web.

Fong is no stranger to cybersecurity and data leaks, having been in the industry for decades. He is a PDPA evangelist, if you may, and emphasized multiple times in our chat, the importance of the act. 

He opines that both the private and public sectors need to know what the PDPA is, be aware of its importance, and enact them in practice. 

“The private sector needs to have policies established, and be very aware that the management personnel are actually liable for prosecution, should the company fail to adhere by the PDPA.”

“The penalties that come with a breach of the PDPA aren’t to be taken lightly, and organizations should be alert to these”.

Malaysia’s problematic attitude towards data protection

Fong segued a little into the cultural aspects of the Asian Malaysian society — and agreed that we are steeped in a culture that fails to respect privacy. 

This is possibly one reason why adherence to data protection and data privacy values or even policies are incredibly lax in the nation. 

It’s not just the large companies that need to abide by data protection and privacy policies — a huge amount of SMEs here also collect sensitive personal data. 

And when one actually examines their practices, one would find that there is little to no regard for proper practices to safeguard data.

One clear example of this lack of care can be seen in how Malaysian companies collect and process employee information. 

Many SMEs who haven’t quite digitalized still fully rely on physical folders and files to hold data on employees — or even jobseekers! 

All it takes is for an unauthorized person to enter these offices and rifle through the folders to get sensitive data on individuals. 

It can be quite mindboggling to contend with the fact that, in 2022, there are still employers here who require prospective employees to divulge highly sensitive information. 

These include data such as their date of birth, identity card number, tax file number, address, details of family members, or even health history.

It is also common for commercial entities such as pharmacies or F&B establishments to collect personal data such as names and identity card numbers presumably to register as a member, even though there is absolutely no reason why such sensitive personal data should be given up.

Worse still — these companies would never declare nor reassure job seekers or customers about how their data is processed and stored. It might be even harder to request that they be destroyed. 

The previously jovial air during our interview changed, as Fong’s voice took on a more somber tone. 

“The data that we’re collecting is accumulating, and it will get increasingly harder for us to protect them, and our people, if we do not have best practices or guidelines in place. 

Fixing the problem 

Throw a stone at a random company in Malaysia that handles personal data, and you’d quickly find that a lot of them have no idea what the PDPA is. Even if they have heard of it, frequently, they’d have no idea how to implement them.

Ensuring adequate and effective processes and guidelines, as well as enforcement, seem to be a recurring plague within the various strata of Malaysian society — and, as many a Malaysian would enthusiastically agree, — governance. 

When asked how companies can go about establishing these guidelines and practices to ensure better data protection, Fong opined that the process isn’t as complicated as most think.

“Firstly, to implement a policy, you’d need procedures. These procedures would then need to be supplemented by clear guidelines and skills training.

“A good place to start would be to visit the website and download a copy of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. Read through it to understand, in principle, what it is about, and what you ought to look out for.”

“Of course, it would be much easier for companies to engage a lawyer to draft a PDPA policy too. Saves you the hassle, too”, he added, with a laugh.

Is more legislation better?

In 2017, the entire country was affected by a massive data breach where details of owners of mobile numbers by telcos were leaked. Hackers attempted to sell off the data of 46 million mobile phone owners in Malaysia, making it Asia’s largest data breach to date.

Mind you, the PDPA was enacted in 2010 and amended in 2013. Even so, these holders of our data could not secure our data properly.

In reaction to the 2021 government-related data leaks, certain quarters have called for stricter legislation. 

There is an argument to be made that instituting new laws to handle data leaks or breaches, whether sold on the dark web or otherwise, may not be particularly helpful. 

A reactive approach to (cyber)crime isn’t ideal for two reasons; firstly, the principle of deterrence through punishment is only effective when enforcement is consistently and equally enforced (e.g. without the baggage of corruption). 

Secondly, like other crimes, the damage, often irreversible, would already be done to victims. The only recourse or compensation available is often monetary, and the legal process to obtain the monies back may be long and arduous.

Instead, focusing on developing a holistic and preventative approach would be ideal, and this doesn’t just mean introducing more legislation. 

Malaysia already has the PDPA, which, for the most part, may be described as decent. Unfortunately, it suffers from a lack of enforcement (as do many other important things in the country). 

Secondly, there is a dearth of data protection and data privacy literacy in Malaysia. A lack of coordinated educational campaigns have made us all ignore the importance of securing our data, or holding companies and governments accountable for the misuse or manhandling of our data.

There is a lack of transparency and accountability; data privacy literacy; adherence to and enforcement of protocols, and enactment of established procedures for collection and use of personal data in Malaysia. 

These are the core kinks in the system that need to be ironed out — it is not a problem that can be easily solved by slapping a legislative band-aid and hoping it resolves itself. 

This would be especially more urgent as Southeast Asia heads into the golden age of e-Commerce and soon, the metaverse.  

Ensuring data protection and privacy requires an overhaul of attitudes — there needs to be a drastic shift of mindsets and especially urgency to recognize these as priorities. 

The views expressed here belong to the author and does not represent Tech Wire Asia.

The post Malaysia’s chronic indisposition to prioritize data protection will ruin us all appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Kicked in on 1 January this year for 10 countries in the Asia Pacific, it was initiated in 2012 by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to strengthen ties with China and other APAC nations.

Asia and cross-border trade

The Asia Pacific, especially ASEAN, has long had a history of close and successful cross-border trading, primarily due to proximity and similarity of cultures, which facilitates logistics and market demand for goods. 

However, unlike the European Union (EU), the APAC region had been a little on the slower side to rectify existing bottlenecks in processes, laws, regulations, tariffs, and access to financing, especially in relation to global value chains. 

Furthermore, most trade agreements tend to be within these countries’ sub-regional parameters, i.e. Greater Asia, or Southeast Asia. 

Leading tech nations in Greater Asia — namely, Japan, South Korea, and China — have been embroiled in political tensions for decades, slowing inter-regional trade there.

This RCEP, interestingly, will mark the first time that China, Japan, and South Korea would be in a free trade agreement — certainly a movement that has gotten the world on the edges of their seats to see how it plays out.

Who are in the RCEP?

Ushered in four days ago, the RCEP agreement kicked into action for Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

South Korea would join the bloc on 1 February 2022, 60 days after its ratification. Other signatory nations including Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines are expected to ratify it soon. 

Their agreements will enter into force 60 days post ratification instrument deposit, acceptance, or approval to the Secretary-General of ASEAN. 

What will the RCEP bring for signatories?

The RCEP comprises a mix of low, medium, and high-income countries. Its key selling point is the elimination of tariffs for cross-border trade in goods. 

It is a big deal, as inter-Asia trade already is bigger than trade between Asia, North America and Europe put together. 

Once the RCEP came into effect, 65% of tariffs have gone down to zero — and this number is expected to rise to as much as 90% within 20 years. 

For RCEP exporters to enjoy these tariffs, they would need to abide by its common “rules of origin” framework, shared Ajay Sharma, HSBC’s regional head of global trade and receivables finance for the Asia Pacific, in a report by SCMP. 

This means sourcing at least 40% of inputs from within the RCEP bloc, in order for their end-products to enjoy the tariffs when they’re exported to other member nations. 

Sharma further opined that diversification of supply chains and FDI (foreign direct investment) will be accelerated as companies will find it easier to use ASEAN as a base of production, given lower associated business costs. 

He also added that it would “streamline existing FTAs in APAC and strengthen intra-regional trade linkages.”

Digitalization and cross-border trade in ASEAN

As previously mentioned, cross-border trade in ASEAN has been strong and will keep growing as regional cooperation between private and government players further harness the power of technology, given the pandemic’s movement restrictions.

According to Google, Temasek, and Bain, Southeast Asia is predicted to reach a US$1 trillion digital economy by 2030. 

Whilst trade was admittedly negatively impacted by the pandemic in the past two years, heavy damage was largely averted through several approaches. 

Digitalization in the form of enhanced digital connectivity, automation of operational services, and strong governmental policies prioritizing digitalization in cross-border trade played a huge role in dampening the effects of the pandemic in ASEAN.

Furthermore, the region is one that’s quick to recognize and take advantage of fintech. This is largely applied to foster better financial inclusion, in the region home to the world’s largest population of unbanked and underbanked consumers. 

The Asia Pacific has a huge appetite for fintech — reflecting the changing finance and banking landscape, as well as consumer demand, in these regions.

According to Findexable, five ASEAN nations — namely Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, are also in the top 20 Asian fintech nations. Findexable publishes the annual Global Fintech Rankings.

For example, the central banks of Malaysia and Thailand launched a cross-border QR payment system in June last year. The retail payment linkage enables consumers and merchants in both countries to make and receive instant cross-border QR code payments.

Both countries had recently undergone pivotal shifts in digitalizing payments. Malaysia promoted its real-time retail payment system and DuitNow, whereas Thailand charted an e-payment roadmap to bolster intra and inter-country retail e-payments.

Multiple countries in Asia have or are in the process of embarking on their own sovereign digital currencies, or, CBDCs (central bank digital currency). 

Singapore has taken the lead to develop retail CBDC through the Global CBDC Challenge, whereas Malaysia is still experimenting. 

In September last year, it was reported by Tech Wire Asia that central banks of Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa will develop prototypes and test shared platforms to process cross-border digital currency transactions. 

China has successfully carried out multiple iterations of its digital yuan trials, and Japan is reportedly looking at starting its own too.

The RCEP and ASEAN’s digital economy dominance

Aside from fostering smoother payments, digitalization brings with it a host of other benefits for businesses and consumers alike, especially in the digital payments powerhouse that is Southeast Asia. 

E-Commerce has been identified as a key driving force of strong intra-regional trade between countries, and its potential is immense in developing nations such as the Philippines.

The role that technologies such as AI and analytics play, especially in e-Commerce, cannot be underestimated too. 

E-Commerce players are not just concerned with swimming with small fish — they have far bigger fish (markets) to fry.

Last year, China-based fashion mogul Shein overtook Amazon as the biggest fashion mobile e-Commerce platform in the US. Shein has quietly racked up a valuation that exceeds US$15 billion, too.

In Thailand, fashion e-commerce players such as Pomelo have developed their own machine learning system to boost their platform presence. 

Furthermore, emerging fintech such as BNPL also play a part in growing financial inclusion for not just consumers, but MSMEs (micro and SMEs) as well. 

A report by Deloitte predicts that digital trade will further accelerate, and leapfrog the region into the golden age of digital trade within the next three years.

The report also suggests that this pivotal shift will be largely facilitated by increased dynamic cross-border e-Commerce activities, which are further strengthened by regional cooperation through the RCEP, increased digitalized lifestyles, and the ongoing development of digital infrastructures.

It’s just a matter of when — not if.

The post APAC will dominate the digital economy with RCEP appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Typhoon Odette in the Philippines had caused so much destruction and displacement that cities are still trying to clear the debris and cope with the hundreds of lives lost.

The 2021 flash floods of Malaysia have also displaced over 60,000 people and homes and disrupted supply chains and trade routes.

As I reflect on these events at the end of 2021, it pains me to know that life and financial losses could have been mitigated, or perhaps, even avoided, in these two natural disasters.

Climate change, COVID-19, and suffering

Rapid urbanization in a post-industrial world has accelerated demand for a litany of products, services, and amenities. All of which, over the decades, has increased in scope, depth, and resource use.

The buzzword half a decade ago was “smart cities”, and a couple of decades prior, “globalization”. 

Globalization was touted to be the bearer of prosperity for Asia, and it was, and still is. Almost two decades later, greater Asia has significantly caught up to the West — particularly North America and Europe.

Tech superpowers in Asia are locking heads with the US on future technologies such as quantum computing and 6G, even.

Worryingly, this is amid a backdrop of a pandemic-ravaged, economically wrecked world that’s still struggling to recover from the devastation of COVID-19 lockdowns that have affected trade and supply chains globally, on top of the mental stresses of attempting to protect ourselves from being infected.

As if that’s not enough, the entire globe has been grappling with the increasingly vicious effects of climate change such as flash floods, droughts, typhoons, tsunamis, and the like. 

Over in the developed, metropolitan capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Hybrid’s relatively privileged office contends with fear and concern over dark clouds and heavy rain that loom on the other side of our windowpanes, never knowing if we’d have to leave immediately or face the prospect of being stuck with flooding.

We are at the mercy of the whims of mercurial weathers that require care to navigate and understand — not unlike the kind you’d need being around emotionally fickle persons who make you feel like you’re treading on eggshells.

Smart, but also sustainable cities are key

These are dire times we live in. 

We may not be having many physical wars amongst nations, but the trickle-down effects of foreign policies, quests for world domination, and digital espionage, coupled with climate change and COVID-19 will and do severely affect the lives of the people down the chain. 

People such as you and I, and businesses, and economies.

Climate change is the most pressing issue that the world needs to contend with, because not only is it affecting us now, but it will affect us 10, 20, 30 years down the road. 

Lives will be lost, children will be growing up in a fractured globe with limited natural resources — survivability will be in hard mode for the future generation. 

Again, the buzzword then was ‘smart cities’. But it is not enough that cities chase ‘smartness’. 

For cities of the future to be liveable, they should also be designed according to principles of sustainability. 

This is especially true for regions or areas that are particularly susceptible to natural disasters and where there are marginalized or at-risk communities such as those with limited access to basic needs such as water, sanitation, or food. 

Their displacement will have a far greater negative impact on their lives, as opposed to those with access to better facilities.

For example, the December 2021 flash floods in Malaysia weren’t unavoidable. There were clear recommendations made to authorities in terms of city and infrastructure amendments and designs that would facilitate drainage. 

Members of Parliament for certain constituencies had brought up critical infrastructural faults that required immediate rectification in anticipation of increased rainfall at the end of the year.

Unfortunately,  these were not addressed in a thorough, timely, and effective manner. As a result, over 60,000 people were displaced, lives were lost, and properties and possessions were ruined beyond repair.

It is a week after the devastating floods and victims are literally still slowly picking up bits and pieces of their lives. In other states, the flooding has continued, and the prognosis is similarly not great for them either.

It is showing that it is exceedingly important that if cities want to be “smart”, sustainability should be embedded in the core of their design.

Defining “smart sustainable cities”

The UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) defines a smart sustainable city as “an innovative city that uses ICTs and other means to improve quality of life, the efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspects.” 

Whilst that was not exactly the epitome of clarity nor accuracy, it does give us some insight into the philosophy behind what smart, sustainable cities ought to be like. 

To that effect, the UNECE (and the UN) do have a set of standards and key performance indicators (KPIs) for smart sustainable cities, which were developed by both UNECE and ITU.

Briefly, the KPIs gauging standards of smart sustainable cities are grouped across three dimensions: Economy; Environment, and Society, and Culture. 

Smart cities ultimately aim to improve the lives of their inhabitants and push the nation’s economy to greater heights of development and liveability. 

It is clear that global policymakers understand and acknowledge the complex intertwining of People and the Environment.

We cannot expect that electric vehicles, renewable energy, smart streetlights, drones, or IoT toilets will alone solve the complexities of climate change and improve the liveability of cities. 

Sure, they have their uses, but their roles are arguably smaller in the grander scheme of things.

Sustainable cities, therefore, are now a crucial component of developing better cities.

And more importantly, the presence of capitalization in these sectors has to be tempered with education, policy reforms, and control of corporations.

Electric vehicles, for starters, still have negative environmental impacts on the production line. Blockchain requires high amounts of electricity to function. 

The time has come to do away with self-aggrandizing, ego-stroking “technological achievements” in smart city development when these do not have sustainability embedded in their design.

We need effective, progressive, and decisive policies and policy changes. We need better implementation, monitoring, and enforcement from the authorities.

We need city planners, architects and engineers of the future to design and build with sustainability in mind.

We need to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure that cities abide by sustainability standards and that the interests of the people and environment trump the greed of corporations. 

We need governments across the world to ratify and work on their pledges in the Paris Agreement to bring global temperatures back down to pre-industrial levels.

We need to stop thinking that it will be business as usual today, tomorrow and later.

We can no longer work in silos — this affects us all. 

Will you be part of a force of change?

Or will business go on as usual?

The post Stop killing people: Smart cities must be sustainable cities appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be a big game-changer with so much value potential up for grabs. The razor-sharp execution of AI in Southeast Asia alone could boost the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) by nearly US$1 trillion in ten years.

Simultaneously, Indonesia’s economy is expected to shift into a higher gear with AI, with an expected US$366 billion added to the country’s gross home product by 2030.

New research from EDBI and Kearney revealed the numbers, adding that while the adoption of AI is still in nascent stages across Southeast Asia, more than 70% of AI users, providers, and investors see it as crucial to the region’s future.

There is no universally agreed-upon definition of what constitutes AI, but in simple terms, AI refers to the ability of machines to exhibit human-like intelligence—for example, the ability to solve a problem without requiring detailed, human-developed software. 

By reviewing voluminous data sets for patterns, machines can “learn” to perform tasks, such as identifying images, recognizing speech, identifying relevant information in texts, synthesizing information, drawing conclusions, and forecasting. 

Where is Indonesia in the AI ecosystem?

Recently, the Indonesian government introduced a national strategy that will guide the country in developing AI between 2020 and 2045, focusing on education and research, health services, food security, mobility, smart cities, and public sector reform. 

Although Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, it has a diverse startup ecosystem. Financial technology (fintech) and health tech companies have been setting up shop for years, but it wasn’t until this pandemic that the potential of homegrown AI startups started to be noticed.

Kearney senior associate Soon Ghee Chua said he is seeing a lot of potential in the logistics and supply chain sector, as financial services and retail have been the early adopters of AI in Indonesia.

In terms of progress in AI, a 2018 International Data Corporation survey found that Indonesian companies had the highest rates of AI adoption in Southeast Asia, with 24.6% of organizations integrating the technology into their operations.

There are a number of state projects that have employed AI to anticipate state fires for example; and some government agencies are promoting AI development and technology-based tools at schools and other learning institutions.

Another example of successful AI adoption in Indonesia includes e-commerce platform Tokopedia, ready to improve the entire variety of transactions by 202% and improve income by 179% month-over-month, after implementing AI-based product suggestions.

Additionally, in a bid to solve Jakarta’s infamous traffic gridlocks, flooding, and waste management, the city has turned to artificial intelligence.

To this end, the Indonesian government launched the Jakarta Smart City (JSC) initiative. Built on six pillars, the program uses AI to tackle the city’s governance, people, living, mobility, economy, and environmental issues. 

It actively encourages public collaboration as well, allowing citizens to submit complaints and suggestions in several ways. In turn, this promotes transparency and the data-driven nature of the local government’s work to provide better public services.

While that may paint a rosy picture of the AI landscape in the archipelago, data misuse remains a hurdle given that country has neither the provisions to regulate AI, nor an official agency to oversee AI development. 

Other main components that drive effective AI use – algorithms and computing power – are areas that Indonesia could stand to improve greatly.

The post AI to be a US$366b industry in Indonesia by 2030 appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In 2018, Gartner observed that only 10 percent of enterprise-generated data was being created and processed outside of a traditional, centralized data center or cloud.

However, change was on the horizon. The respected global research and advisory firm predicted that this figure would rise to 75 percent by 2025. This major reconfiguration could be critical for emerging, real-time applications and technologies. It could also enhance the performance of existing technologies.

Across all of these endeavors, the primary motivator was often problem-solving for the explicit cause of productivity. Through recent innovations, companies like Dell are making IT teams more productive by perfecting the remote deployment capabilities on their servers.

In the past, clients mainly used SNMP and IPMI to monitor their infrastructure but now they’re turning to more advanced solutions for proactive management, security, and optimizations. Before the pandemic, this was pitched as a time & cost-saver. Now, the ability to monitor and manage IT infrastructure remotely seems ideal in this world of social distancing and quarantines.

Ultimately, all of this is leading to a technological shift that will improve response times and abilities for consumers using devices. It’s a more efficient tech foundation that AI use cases can build on, and AI itself is premised on greater efficiency and unlocked value.

These futuristic value propositions and buzzwords — AI, IoT, and edge — require elaborate interconnection in order to fully deliver on the expectations that tech companies and the tech media have set. This innovation was being continually pitted against inefficiency. But sometimes, it failed. Right before the sudden escalation of the pandemic, economists we’re still trying to figure out why technology hasn’t made the UK more productive.

In the National Institute Economic Review, Nicholas Crafts and Terence C. Mills wrote, “We find that the current productivity slowdown has resulted in productivity being 19.7 percent below the pre-2008 trend path in 2018. This is nearly double the previous worst productivity shortfall ten years after the start of a downturn. On this criterion the slowdown is unprecedented in the past 250 years.”

It will take a combination of new tech and new policies for the economy to truly flourish. That is to say, continue in the direction that we previously considered to be positive; but perhaps there’s an opportunity now to redefine needs and success.

One thing is clear, however — automation will continue.

In an online video, Rick Hall, Senior Product Planning and Strategy Manager at Dell, said that people are currently progressing along an automation journey. Telemetry streaming, analytics, and AI techniques can further them along that journey.

“A lot of customers are very interested in getting every last ounce of performance out of their infrastructure,” he said. High-frequency traders, in particular, know that even a millisecond could give them a competitive advantage.

For the longest time, inefficiency was the so-called enemy. Now, humanity is facing a highly contagious and devastating virus, and our capital and innovations need to shift accordingly.

Silicon Valley often sets impossible standards for itself. Startups fail and pivot regularly. But if we take worthwhile risks, and if we ensure that operations actually reflect ESG factors and professed corporate values, then we could end up in a better place. And we won’t just be more efficient or productive in an empty way. We’ll be doing things that matter.

The post Are we witnessing a shift in our tech priorities? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

According to a multitude of news sources, twenty-four countries or so have forged ahead with digital surveillance measures by using either personal or mass location data, facial recognition capabilities, and tracking apps to trace at-risk individuals.

This has alarmed more than 100 citizen rights groups that have issued a warning to government bodies about the sudden push for digital surveillance.

The groups, made up of leading civil society organizations like Privacy International, have reportedly forewarned governments that a global emergency is not an excuse for ‘pervasive snooping‘.

“An increase in state digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining access to mobile phone location data, threatens privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association,” the groups said in a statement.

They believe that while to some extent the reliance on digital surveillance is justifiable, there still needs to be clear limits as to how much data is being collected, stored and used.

A very sudden and accelerated launch of surveillance measures may also result in permanent damages to human rights sooner or later. The trust of civilians in government bodies and private technology companies are at risk here.

One of the biggest worries is the fact that governments may complicate or intensify the harm of this outbreak by running roughshod over civilians’ privacy and dignity.

Estelle Masse, a senior policy analyst at Access Now said: “We must ensure that the measures governments are taking right now do not transform this health crisis into a global human rights crisis.”

One way of doing so is by provisioning some laws around the use of civilians data to support tracing and monitoring efforts. The laws should, of course, be devised with public health goals in mind and a time limit.

Additionally, officials must also reassure civilians that their data will not be handed to any other parties or used for commercial purposes.

Despite the gravity of the current climate, governments must remain transparent with civilians regarding the amount of data collected, the protection level enforced and how the data is being used.

China seems to have led the ‘revolution’ in digital surveillance ever since it was revealed that that country has extensively relied on personal mobile location data, facial recognition technology, and even AI-powered smart glasses to flatten the curve – and it has managed to do just that.

Now, the country has introduced a traffic light system that’s anchored to a mobile app to help determine whether an individual is fit to roam and meet others. Although media outlets have coined the move as ‘intrusive’, it hasn’t stopped other countries from following suit under jurisdictions of their own.

However, is the use of data – to any extent – warranted and justifiable?

That’s a key question that has stirred a lot of conversations today. As the urgency to make sure civilians obey quarantine orders heightens, the lines between data privacy and national health interests have been blurred.

Understandably, with over 70,000 lives lost and many more at risk, the launch of digital surveillance campaigns were supported with ample reasoning. But, there is no denying that the lack of transparency and security guarantee of personal data is deafening.

With personal data placed at the core of the digital fight against the pandemic, it’s hard to tell whether sacrificing privacy is a moral effort or a forced-upon civic duty of the civilians themselves.

There’s a lot at stake here, so there is no surprise that data privacy issues have been raised over and over again. Private technology companies must make clear of how much data is being shared and how much control do their users have over the shared data.

That is one key way in making sure that the rights of users are protected and there will be zero possibilities for data privacy violations and abuse in the future.

On top of that, an understanding of civil duties, social laws, and privacy rights is essential in helping governments find common grounds with both, civilians and rights groups.

The post Digital surveillance – will data privacy matter during the pandemic? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

While this is the right way to go, they must recognize that building a successful e-commerce business is drastically different from old-school retail. E-commerce goes beyond just selling products; it is not transactional, but relational.

To survive, it is key to humanize businesses and create meaningful relationships with customers.

To forge deeper connections, companies must first have a purpose. Today’s consumers are purpose-driven, so loyalty will come when they identify a business whose purpose they can resonate with.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes: what do they care about, and why? Make this the focal point of your brand and product, and then create a community around it.

For the modern consumer, being loyal to a brand extends beyond liking a product or its values, it is also about the connections they make with other like-minded customers. Hence, community is important – e-commerce companies that thrive are those that have a ‘less about the brand, more about the people’ community, where people that share the same goals, life experiences and values can interact with one another.

But there is a high chance that other companies will share these same generic purpose, such as saving the environment or other charitable causes. With the e-commerce market saturated as it is right now, how then, can a business stand out in a sea of countless competitors? By not being afraid to be different. Curiosity gets piqued when something new appears, so if a business is bold and unique, people will gravitate towards it.

Entering into the world of e-commerce may be more accessible than ever before – thanks to plug-and-play services now available – but there is no blueprint or equation to follow; it is important to think outside the box, and use innovative solutions to solve the problems facing your target audience.

Finally, take true ownership of the business. Its purpose must be one that you absolutely believe in, something that you will be willing to go the extra mile for.

Being in it ‘just for the money’ is not a sustainable approach, and is only going to lead to the downfall of the business in the long run.

Morals should also be kept to the highest standard, and dishonesty must have no place – online shoppers are not very forgiving, and they have a lot of other choices. One bad experience can turn them away forever, and they might even take a few other customers with them if word gets around.

Whether you’re retailer operating in e-commerce, or in another industry altogether, being known as a business that cares for people is so much more important than day-by-day sales.

Find a purpose, develop an innovative strategy to execute that business purpose, and prioritize relationships with customers – this would be a good start towards building a sustainable, successful e-commerce business that flourishes for the long haul.

The post Want to win in e-commerce? Humanize your business appeared first on TechWire Asia.