Smidex Suisse - Smart ID Exposyum will take place from November 16 to 18. The Exposyum is a B2B event that combines the topics of physical security systems, IT infrastructure and cyber security on one platform for the first time. The three-day event in Zurich Oerlikon will be organized by Starling Expo AG and DeltaBlue AG.

Speakers may come forward

Smidex Suisse invites experts to demonstrate their expertise to an interested professional audience. Anyone who has an exciting practical presentation with a current reference may apply to the "Call for Papers. register to participate in the trade fair as a speaker. On the Smidex Suisse Exposyum website, under the heading "Call for Papers", you will find a prepared, writable form. Submission is possible until June 30, 2021 at the latest.

The paying participants of the Smidex Exposyum in November 2021 expect papers with presentations on practical solutions and with current relevance. This quality standard will be checked before admission of the individual papers by a Expert jury reviewed.

For company and product presentations, the Smidex Suisse Exposyum offers opportunities outside the trade conference. For example, companies that have concluded a corresponding "Presenter Contract" can use the "Open Forum" in the main hall.

New event venue

The Smidex is carried out in Hall 550, a new event venue located a few minutes' walk from Zurich Oerlikon station. The former industrial site is currently under renovation and should be ready in October. Over 7000 square meters of usable space as well as an outdoor zone in the inner courtyard are available.

To the trade fair concept

www.smidex.ch

The conference, which has been known for over 25 years as the "Symposium on Burglary Protection", will be held for the first time under the new name "Security Conference - Security for Private, Commercial and Industrial Users". At May 31 and June 1, 2021 top-class experts from the insurance industry and police as well as manufacturers of innovative security technology will speak about proven and forward-looking solutions for burglary protection and many other security topics.

The symposium can be booked as a livestream. The chat function gives participants the opportunity to get involved and ask questions at any time.

Broad range of topics

The reason for the new name: The tasks in the security sector have become more diverse over the years - among other things due to the advancing digitalization of products and services. The wide range of current security trends and developments is also reflected in the conference program:

The first day is all about digitalization, which brings new opportunities, but also security requirements, especially in the area of locks. For example, protection options and framework conditions for the use of apps, clouds and electronic components in the field of security technology will be discussed. On the agenda of the second day systems and security technologies of the future, as well as the latest information on regulations and guidelines.

The conference is aimed, among others, at manufacturers, installers and distributors of security technology, at the police and the private security industry, as well as at employees from the insurance and financial sectors.

The entire program and the possibility to register can be found at:

vds.de/edft21

At the end of January 2021, Viola Amherd commissioned the DDPS's internal audit department to review procurements during the Covid-19 pandemic. The audit report is now available. Despite difficult conditions, the federal government's mandate was fulfilled. The prices paid were also examined. There were "strong indications" that the DDPS had purchased the hygiene and respiratory masks "at market prices". No significant findings were identified with regard to the contract conditions either. However, there is also room for improvement.

As far as quality is concerned, the remaining open points relating to the hygiene and respiratory masks in storage are to be clarified. In addition, the DDPS Internal Audit unit was critical of the use of "ad hoc committees". It also identified a need for action with regard to the discounted distribution of medical supplies and the application of the BGÖ in crisis situations.

Source: VBS

The building insurance of the canton of Zurich shows a total damage amount of 57.3 million Swiss francs in the financial year 2020. Compared to the previous year (2838 reports), the GVZ processed a total of 7179 claims, of which 1022 were fire and 6157 natural hazards. In the case of fire and natural hazards, the figures are in line with the average for the year. This amounts to 39 million Swiss francs for fire claims and 19 million Swiss francs for natural hazards claims.

Gross premiums in 2020 had increased by 1.36 percent to 129.3 million francs compared to the previous year. At the same time, fire protection levies increased to 36.2 million francs (previous year: 35.8 million francs). This increase was related to the ongoing construction activity in the canton of Zurich and to the increase in insurance capital. The fire protection levy included in the insurance premium serves to finance preventive and defensive fire protection measures and to provide financial support for the fire departments in the canton of Zurich.

Despite a higher loss amount and the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the investment result, GVZ closed the 2020 financial year with a gratifying
total result of 85.5 million Swiss francs.

Source: GVZ

In connection with Covid-19, there is an increasing amount of waste that needs to be disposed of safely. What needs to be considered when handling waste from vaccination, e.g. residues of vector-based vaccines, so that no new risks arise? The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) Germany, together with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and further partners Recommendations for the handling of waste generated in connection with Covid-19 elaborated.

Attention risk of injury

Overall, the recommendation does not provide for any special requirements for the disposal of waste from vaccination and testing centers. It can be assumed that there is no danger for used vaccine vials or rapid tests: According to the UBA, the materials can be disposed of together with municipal waste.When pointed and sharp objects (e.g., cannulas) are produced, the necessary occupational safety measures must be observed during waste disposal and the risk of injury must be minimized by using packaging that is resistant to breakage and punctures, the UBA said.

Source: Federal Environment Agency

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, a total of 73.9 percent of all employees in Switzerland recorded their working hours in 2019, compared with just 58.1 percent in the European Union (EU). Compared to the EU, however, Switzerland benefits from a high level of labor autonomy. The ratio is 60.4 percent versus 50.6 percent.

More frequent recording of working hours than in Europe

Home working hours, meanwhile, increased significantly in 2020, but were still spread differently depending on the economic sector. In Switzerland, hours worked are recorded more frequently overall than in Europe as a whole. However, the automatic registration of working hours is more than twice as widespread in the EU as in Switzerland (32.8 percent compared with 13.4 percent).In this country, however, three times as many employees as in the EU record their hours manually themselves (53.1 percent compared with 15.8 percent).

Home office distribution in Switzerland

In 2020, home office work was most widespread in the "Information and communication" sector (for example, 82.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020), followed by the "Financial intermediation" sector (71.6 percent). In the "Education" and "Professional, scientific and technical services" sectors, more than 50 percent of the workforce also occasionally worked from home on average in 2020.

To the detailed message

Source: Federal Statistical Office 

Large companies as well as SMEs continue to be targeted by hackers. One thing is certain: Since the pandemic, the flood of cyberthreats has increased. Unbrokenly highas Swisscom notes in its Cyber Security Threat Report. The attacks of cyber thugs have become more sophisticated and are increasingly targeting the home office. While classic attack methods are on the decline overall, intelligent and AI-driven attacks are increasingly being used. For companies and organizations, the effort to keep track of the attackers' methods is increasing.

Deep Fakes on trend

Cybercriminals are now able to use a wide range of information to automatically generate an artificial profile that looks deceptively real.

For example, a recent example on the Tiktok channel featuring Tom Cruise caused a stir. In the videos, the Hollywood actor showed magic tricks and played golf. However, he never stood in front of the camera for the video and didn't even know about it.

It was a so-called deep fake, in which various algorithms are used to simulate authentic movements, gestures and speech. As a result, cybercriminals are increasingly able to disseminate false information in a targeted manner.

To the detailed Cyber Security Threat Report 

As it became known, the new vulnerabilities affect versions of Exchange Server of 2013, 2016 and 2019. Last Tuesday, Microsoft informed about it and released the necessary updates for it. The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) sent the necessary information to critical infrastructure operators on Tuesday.

Apparently, there are no known malware programs that already exploit the gaps, so it is still important to apply the patches immediately.

• CVE-2021-28480: Exchange Server RCE Vulnerability
• CVE-2021-28481: Exchange Server RCE Vulnerability
• CVE-2021-28482: Exchange Server RCE Vulnerability
• CVE-2021-28483: Exchange Server RCE Vulnerability

The NCSC advises to make sure to apply the latest patches.

Long Covid sufferers are often on their own. The situation for people suffering from a long-term illness is not easy. They are left to their own devices. Recognized diagnoses and therapies as well as legal protection are lacking. This is where the newly created "Altea" platform, which was launched on April 16. went online, bringing together those affected.

The Long Covid Network Altea was initiated by the Lunge Foundation Zurich and will soon be transferred into a suitable supporting structure, according to a statement. The name "Altea" is derived from the Greek Althaíā and the Latin Althaea and means "the one who heals" or "the one who cares".

Altea's goal is to promote networking and the exchange of knowledge. This is also central in the current situation, as there are still many unanswered questions and those affected are on their own. Long Covid sufferers can find information on Altea about symptoms and treatment options. Among other things, a directory of specialized clinics, doctors and therapy offers is available. In the "Stories", those affected share their experiences and adventures, thus providing first-hand insight.

www.lunge-zuerich.ch

www.altea-netzwerk.ch

Have you already crossed a road today and walked across a pedestrian crossing? Pedestrian crossings support safer behavior by road users through simple visual markings - a nudge for more safety in everyday life. "Nudging" is a term coined since 2008 by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein and represents an approach from behavioral economics. A nudge describes a measure to steer people's behavior in a desired direction, but without excluding other options.

In addition to the use of nudging in the context of classic marketing measures, nudges are used in the areas of environment and sustainability, nutrition and health, or even in the context of education to support "better" decisions.

For example, the UK tax authority sent out reminder letters saying: "Nine out of ten Britons pay their taxes on time, and in your neighborhood most have already paid." Three months later, 83 percent of recipients had paid their taxes, compared with only 68 percent in the comparison group. This formulation is aimed at the urge to follow social norms and not stand out from the "herd."

Recently, the use of nudging has also been discussed more intensively in the context of strategic risk communication, specifically in the context of prevention efforts in occupational safety. Behavioral approaches are not new to prevention, but - in contrast to nudging approaches - they focus primarily on deliberate action and behavior, which can be influenced via classic risk communication (for example, factual instructions, brochures with rules of conduct, etc.).

Nudges target the fast, automated action They therefore work particularly well for more intuitive, habitual behavior or for behavior that we do not think about intensively and explicitly weigh up the pros and cons. Nudges work because people do not always make rational decisions independently. Situational factors such as time pressure, lack of knowledge, emotions, etc. as well as habits influence our everyday decisions.

Potential Nudging in Prevention

Nudges are already being used today in the context of occupational safety and health protection. For example, through stickers with footprints on the floor, which direct employees in the warehouse to the traffic route for people, or through emotional references to past accidents in the context of accident prevention. Also, Lunt and Staves (2014) were able to show that visual cues via color coding (of pipe systems, for example) are a promising approach to improve attention and safety practices. Such nudges are intended to encourage people to behave in a safe and healthy manner.

There are several Behavior-influencing effects and rules of thumb, applied in nudging to steer behavior in a certain direction. For example, the above-mentioned principle of herd behavior not only works for taxation, but can also be used in occupational health and safety. A sign that indicates that 80 percent of the company's employees protect themselves from the sun while outdoors demonstrates a social norm.

This can encourage the remaining 20 percent to do the same as their team members. In certain cases, optical illusions are also helpful in highlighting a hazard: If the road markings before curves or intersections are visually narrower, we perceive the speed at which we are traveling as increased and automatically slow down. The advantage of such a nudge is that it also works independently of language. Visual feedback on a specific behavior, for example in the form of laughing or crying smileys, are also proven nudges to support a desired behavior. Many other examples prove the success of such approaches. However, there are a number of key aspects to consider when it comes to their actual use in the work environment.

In principle, nudging works best when the desired Behavior with little effort can be achieved - both cognitively and, for example, in terms of time resources. This means that the less thought has to be given to the execution of a (safe) behavior, the more receptive people are to such "nudges". This is also related to the fact that there is often performance and time pressure in the work context. So it pays to make a desired behavior as simple as possible:

Is the personal protective equipment available where the employees need it and where they come by anyway? Or do they have to go out of their way to get it? If the protective equipment is positioned in a clearly visible place, it also acts as a reminder to use it. It has also been shown that combinations of nudges (for example, a simple info-visualization and feedback) are particularly effective, depending on the context.

Context and transparent communication are important

One important finding is that acceptance and effectiveness depend very much on the context. This illustrates the relevance of the situation-specific design of nudges. On the one hand, different conditions simply allow for different methods (for example, fixed vs. variable workplaces, employee language, work routines, individual work vs. team work, etc.). On the other hand, previous findings indicate that nudges are more effective the more nudged individuals can identify with the nudge.

A nudge should therefore, whenever possible and sensible, be personalized or at least designed to be company-specific. It should be noted that the work environment can vary greatly depending on the industry and the company. An important factor, especially in the work context, is the social environment. The effectiveness of nudges here depends heavily on social norms and the culture in which they are practiced. Whether a person behaves safely is not only relevant for that person, but usually also for other employees - even if it is "only" through their role as a role model for others. For the development of nudges, it is therefore important to analyze and consider social norms on a company-specific basis and, if necessary, even to use them specifically, for example in the form of role models.

To avoid nudges being perceived only subconsciously or even as manipulative, a Open and transparent communication The company's communication with its employees is central. It is important that a company actively communicates about the motivation and objectives of nudges and, if possible, also obtains feedback on them in order to promote both employee trust and acceptance of the measure.

Nudging in the context of occupational safety and health protection should always be understood as a complementary approach. We are legally obligated to work safely and healthily and to comply with certain safety precautions. However, nudges can help us to carry out this behavior more intuitively and with less effort - and perhaps they even bring more humor into everyday work.

Google has provided a security update for Chrome 89, in which the Google developers have, among other things, cleaned up a zero-day vulnerability. According to Chrome Release Blog around two vulnerabilities that are already being exploited and have been discovered by external security researchers.

One vulnerability affects the HTML renderer. The second, more dangerous vulnerability is a heap buffer overflow in connection with the Javascript engine. Google usually only announces more information when the majority of users have installed the security update.

Source: Chromereleases 

The e-bike boom in Switzerland continues and has intensified in the wake of the pandemic. 171,000 e-bikes alone were sold last year, up from 133,000 in 2019. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU), there were "sad highlights" in 2020 with 521 seriously injured and 15 fatal traffic accidents last year.

In this context, the BFU has launched a new campaign launched. The goal: An e-bike rider should be aware that his speed exposes him to a higher traffic risk than, for example, a cyclist. At higher speeds, there is also a risk of serious injuries. In addition, approaching e-bikes would also often react too late.

Under discussion is a new revision package on road traffic. E-bike riders are to be better protected with helmets, even on slower e-bikes. In addition, a mandatory light at daytime and a speedometer light at over 25 km/h are also under discussion.