Excellent personnel selection? What makes a company successful? Especially before turbulent times, one should steer his personnel selection in excellent ways. Thomas Völkl, (Dipl.-Kfm., Speaker educator univ., DGSS), talks about professional applicant management in his book "Excellent Personnel Selection".

What does excellent personnel selection mean? As a rhetoric and communication trainer, Thomas Völkl, (Dipl.-Kfm., Sprecherzieher univ., DGSS) talks in his book about the goal, content and necessity of professional applicant management. In the focus: The job interview and with it the not to be underestimated small and big details of an employee search with excellent added value for company, team and applicant.

In cooperation with SchmidtColleg, this workbook also represents a deepening of the leadership system Entrepreneur Energy. Even if personnel selection is not the same as personnel selection, the common thread is still the same: Personnel selection must take place under the sign of appreciation. Therefore this book and therein contained excellent impulses across the range of corporate structures and the current challenges to a personnel selection completely in the sign of excellence.

More about Thomas Völkl his last book "Exzellente Personalauswahl" (SchmidtColleg Verlag) and other publications can be found at www.thomasvoelkl.de

The Board of Directors of the Funk Group announces a change of Chairman. Urs A. Bleisch is the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. He replaces Christoph Meier, who successfully led this body for around seven years. Urs A. Bleisch has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2008 and will continue to manage the operational business as CEO.

In 1990, Christoph Meier laid the foundation for what was then Meier und Partner, a leading company in the fields of risk management, pension and insurance consulting. With great passion on the client front, he quickly succeeded in winning well-known national and international clients. Funk can still count numerous clients from the founding years among his business partners.

Christoph Meier will remain associated with the company as Honorary Chairman. The Board of Directors and the Executive Board are pleased to underline the continuity-oriented management of the company with this arrangement.

www.funk-gruppe.ch

A new premium newsletter entitled "NZZ Global Risk" is designed to give SMEs a knowledge edge in politically turbulent times that can be crucial to success. This is because most SMEs do not have the resources to systematically deal with geopolitical risks and take them into account in their decisions. This is where "NZZ Global Risk" comes in, as NZZ Editor-in-Chief Eric Gujer explains in the following interview:

On 1 June, the premium newsletter "NZZ Global Risk" will be published for the first time. What is this new product about?

Eric Gujer: Brexit and the election of Donald Trump have shown how directly political events affect the economy and businesses. This is increasing. There is hardly an SME left in Switzerland that is not active internationally in some way. However, these companies cannot afford research departments like large corporations do. This is where we can offer something, because assessing political and geopolitical risks is our speciality. A second strength is our independence. And finally, we are also a Swiss SME and have a Swiss perspective on the world.

Who are the recipients of your newsletter? Who do you want to reach specifically?

NZZ Global Risk is aimed at SME entrepreneurs and interested readers. We start as a premium newsletter included in the NZZ subscriber. There are many entrepreneurs among NZZ readers. Non-subscribers can buy a digital trial subscription for CHF 20 and thus test NZZ Global Risk. In exchange with our readers, we will further develop the product after the launch and offer NZZ Global Risk in a second phase as an independent, fee-based product.

Does "NZZ Global Risk" exist only as a newsletter or also in another form?

After the first phase, we will expand the product based on the feedback and behavior of our readers. It is quite conceivable that there will also be a printed version one day. What is already clear is that we will be holding a conference once a year on the opportunities and risks of a particular country region. The first one will take place on August 24 in Zurich on the topic of China. At this conference, our foreign correspondents will examine the topic from the perspective of their respective locations. In August, not only our China correspondent will speak, but also the one from the USA, who of course has a very interesting perspective in this context.

There are already various services for internationally active SMEs, such as those offered by Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE or the Swiss Export Association. To what extent do you differentiate yourself with your offer?

We do not promote exports and are not a state organisation that has to take foreign policy into account. We are also not a company with our own products and interests in these markets. Our product is independent and impartial. These have always been the strengths of the NZZ.

How is "NZZ Global Risk" financed?

In the first phase it is an offer for our subscribers, financed by subscription income.

So no funding from advertising?

No. A partnership is a possibility.

What sources do you rely on for the content conveyed? Is this purely journalistically researched information or do you also rely on contributions from third parties? If so, on whom?

The NZZ has a network of over 50 correspondents worldwide that is unique in Europe. These are experts who have been working in the respective countries and regions for years. It has long been the case that business delegations abroad like to meet with the local NZZ correspondents because they are not only very well informed and networked, but also independent. For NZZ Global Risk, we work solely with RepRisk. They specialize in the evaluation and graphic presentation of global reputational risks.

How is the newsletter structured?

The Premium Newsletter first presents a management summary, then delves into three plausible scenarios, compares them and assesses their likelihood of occurrence. At the end, we draw a conclusion tailored to the needs of SME entrepreneurs and also provide the reader with extensive statistical and graphical material on the topic. The first newsletter is about the rise of China and the end of the American-dominated world order. The three scenarios we see: 1) confrontation and trade war, 2) harmonious alliance or 3) pragmatism despite mistrust.

These are indeed geopolitical movements that are at best relevant at the strategic level. Aren't you moving too far away from the daily business of SMEs?

SMEs know their daily business best. But geopolitical changes are by no means far removed from daily business. Increasingly, they have a very direct impact on businesses and entrepreneurs need to take them into account when making decisions. The devaluation of the British pound after the Brexit vote, for example, had a very tangible impact on business with England.

Always on Thursdays

"NZZ Global Risk" is published every Thursday, for the first time on 1 June. In a first phase, the premium newsletter is included in the NZZ subscription and can be ordered at www.nzz.ch/globalrisk be subscribed to. The contents of "NZZ Global Risk" are exclusive - i.e. they do not appear elsewhere. In addition to the weekly newsletter, there will be an event once a year on the opportunities and risks of a specific country region. The first conference will take place on 24 August 2017 in Zurich.

Further information incl. video teaser

(This interview was published on June 1 on the online portal of the organizer.ch - a title published by galledia verlag ag).

The Institute for Financial Services Zug IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts was created from a cantonal initiative to further strengthen Zug as a trading and financial centre. Since 1997, over 25,000 people have received training and further education at the IFZ. From major banks to pension funds to SMEs: they have all benefited from financial experts for 20 years.

Representatives

Representatives from politics and business wanted to create a university institute to further strengthen Zug as a trading and financial centre. Today, the IFZ is by far the largest centre of excellence among universities of applied sciences in Switzerland in the field of financial education. It employs 90 staff and trains over 3,000 people each year in courses, seminars and conferences.

One third of all Bachelor's and Master's students in the Department of Economics at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts attend IFZ-supervised degree and Master's programmes in Finance & Banking, Controlling & Accounting and Real Estate. In the performance mandates of continuing education, services and research, the institute generates external revenues of around nine million Swiss francs annually.

For the Lucerne School of Business, the institute now jointly managed by Christoph Lengwiler and Linard Nadig has made a significant contribution to raising its profile far beyond the region. Christoph Lengwiler sees the institute's twentieth anniversary as the ideal occasion to hand over responsibility and make way for younger forces to take over the next chapter of the success story. He will continue to support the Institute as a lecturer and project manager.

What the future holds

Even after 20 years, the IFZ continues to focus on the future: "We are constantly expanding our range of continuing education courses and taking up current trends and developments in the financial sector with practice-relevant studies and research projects," says Christoph Lengwiler. This includes expanding the topic area of "combating white-collar crime" with seminars, conferences and research projects. "We are also working intensively on digitalisation, as this development will have a significant impact on the financial and real estate sectors and professions such as controllers over the next few years," says Linard Nadig.

From autumn, he will be tackling this and other challenges with the new co-director Prof. Dr. Andreas Dietrich. Andreas Dietrich has been a lecturer and project manager at the university since 2008. He will succeed Christoph Lengwiler on 1 September 2017.

You can download the anniversary publication "20 years of the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ" at this Link download for free.

Control Risks' global survey of executives and IT decision-makers found that nearly half of respondents believe their company's senior leadership does not take cyber risk seriously enough. This is despite the fact that 77 % of respondents consider members of senior management to be primarily responsible for cyber security management in their organisation - rather than the traditionally responsible IT department.

Just over 31 % of respondents also said they were very or extremely concerned that their business could fall victim to a cyber-attack over the next year. However, a third (34 %) of businesses had no crisis management plan in place in the event of a cyber-attack. Given the most severe malware attack to date on May 12, 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack, which affected 150 countries in less than 12 hours, this lack of preparation is surprising.

Key findings of the study:

   - Companies struggle with a risk-based approach:

Although more and more companies have now realised that the

Compliance with minimum regulatory requirements not sufficient

and want to work harder to reduce the risks of a cyber attack.

actually reduce, almost half (45 %) see the

Identification, analysis and reduction of these risks as their

greatest challenge.

   - Infringements by third parties cause

increasingly concerned: just over a third (35 %) of respondents said,

your company had already worked in the past with

Security vulnerabilities due to third parties to contend with. While

9 out of 10 respondents (93 %) took steps to

Review cyber security measures of their third parties. This

53 % were, however, limited to purely contractual matters.

Clauses.

   - Cyber attacks have severe long-term effects: 4 out of

10 respondents said a cyber-attack had already led to the misuse of

sensitive or confidential information (43 %), or

led to the loss of customer data (41 %).

Harald Nikutta, Senior Partner at Control Risks Germany, comments:

"Cyber security is still often seen as a purely technical challenge rather than an overarching business risk. As our survey shows, this limited view can be

This viewpoint can cause many companies considerable concern in the long term. We recommend taking as comprehensive a view as possible with reference to concrete threats to the respective company. The way in which cyber risks are identified, assessed and communicated within the company is of central importance.

It is important that companies understand the potential consequences of cyber risks in their particular case. Only then can these be considered in a risk management strategy and backed up with effective measures."

Companies need to ensure that cyber security is an integral part of the boardroom agenda - including reviewing the external cyber threat landscape in collaboration with IT. In addition, companies benefit from regular crisis management exercises for all relevant parties, including the boardroom, IT, legal, communications and all other members of the crisis management team. These exercises ensure that all parties know their roles and responsibilities and are aware of the potential consequences of cyber-attacks.

http://www.controlrisks.com

A workshop at the conference at the University of Applied Sciences St. Gallen on the topic of "Robot Prototypes" (Image: zVg)

The organisers of the 10th Eastern Switzerland Innovation Conference are convinced that rapid innovation is a trump card in the globalised market. After all, novel manufacturing is about developing products as quickly as possible, bringing them to market, collecting feedback and implementing them. Rapid iteration steps based on automated processes produce continuously improved products and - success.

At the 10th Eastern Switzerland Innovation Conference, organised by the Institute for Innovation, Design and Engineering (IDEE-FHS) of the University of Applied Sciences St.Gallen, everything revolved around Rapid Automation and Rapid Innovation on 24 May 2017.

Transport, reload, sort

In the Rapid Automation workshop, the participants experienced the advantages of iteratively developed prototypes in a practical way. After a brief introduction, they were given the task of building prototypes for transporting, sorting, reloading and charging used glass from various robot kits such as littleBits, Lego Mindstorms EV3 or Arduino. And to do this in a specific sequence. Lukas Schmid, head of the IDEE-FHS, is satisfied with the result.

"Not only do all the prototypes work, but so does the production line." The aim of the workshop was to give the participants a feeling for what is possible with simple robot kits in a very short time. And they were to get to know different kits with their advantages and disadvantages.

Quick to set up, simple to program

Following the practical part of the conference, the participants learned how national and international market leaders use rapid innovation to drive innovation and position themselves successfully in their markets. Take Optrel AG, for example. The Wattwil-based company specialises in anti-glare products, which are mainly used in welding and medicine.

In his presentation, Ramon Hofer Kraner, Head of Research and Development, showed where his company uses prototypes similar to those created earlier in the workshop. For example, a cutting robot that cuts adhesive tape to the required width. "All it took was a small setup on an existing robot and they could have cut 10,000 to 20,000 strips of tape," Hofer said. With the help of relatively inexpensive robotic arm systems, such as those from EVA Robotics, Dobot or Franka, this will become faster and easier in the future. "Perfect for pick-and-place processes, they can be set up in no time and programmed with a tablet."

Neural network paints paintings

An insight into the world of data was provided by Romeo Kienzler, Chief Data Scientist at IBM Watson IoT (Internet of Things). In the production process, many small computers and sensors provide a large amount of data. Data that is uploaded to a cloud can already be analyzed there and then used accordingly, for example to detect and predict anomalies. Artificial neural networks, which function similarly to our nerve cells in the brain, play an important role here.

The idea is to build ever larger and more powerful networks, deep learning systems. They can learn not only all mathematical formulas, but also functions. "For example, a neural network learns the style of an artist and then paints a new painting itself," says Romeo Kienzler. With the help of neural networks, therefore, predictive models can be created for industry. "Big data and physical production are the heart and head of rapid automation," said Romeo Kienzler.

Robots with feelings

Finally, Michael Schüpbach, Sales Engineer at Fanuc, showed that robots are now not only increasingly intelligent, but also have a sensory system. Founded in Japan, Fanuc is the world market leader in industrial robotics and produces 120 different robot models with handling weights ranging from 500 grams to 2.3 tons. An important division is collaborative robots with integrated sensors. This allows them to be operated safely without a safety fence. The robot arm, for example, stops as soon as it is touched. In addition, it can be pushed away quite easily.

"Because a safety fence is no longer necessary, the robots can take on various tasks. This opens up new possibilities for designing production and the workplace. This can be provided for both the robot and the human and can be flexibly retooled." If 2D and 3D vision systems, force-torque sensors and feeling sensors were combined in robotics, then rapid automation would emerge. "If you build a whole system out of that, then you get rapid innovation."

The 11th Eastern Switzerland Innovation Conference will take place next year on Wednesday, 2 May 2018.

http://www.fhsg.ch

The new "Cybersecurity Learning Lab" takes on new relevance when one considers the threats posed by cybercrime and industrial espionage. Every year, the German economy incurs 51 billion euros in damage due to data theft, industrial espionage or sabotage. According to a recent report on cyber threats to industrial automation systems, two out of five computers in the industrial environment were affected in the second half of 2016.

Increasing attacks

Attacks on critical infrastructures are also increasingly coming to the fore. "In the Cybersecurity Learning Lab 'High Security and Emergency Response', which starts on 23 May in Sankt Augustin, specialists and managers will receive a compact qualification on the topics of detection, analysis and response to cybersecurity incidents. This takes place in high-quality laboratories with up-to-date IT infrastructure," says State Secretary for Research Thomas Rachel. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the Fraunhofer initiative, which includes all six learning labs, with an annual sum of six million euros.

The seminars of the Cybersecurity Learning Lab are aimed at public institutions and authorities as well as organizations involved in the defense against or the investigation of computer crimes. Operators of networked IT infrastructures such as building automation systems also benefit from the practice-oriented programs. "With the Cybersecurity Learning Lab 'High Security and Emergency Response', we are making an important contribution to staying one step ahead of cybercriminals," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Georg Rosenfeld, member of the Executive Board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

Cooperation

The Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics and the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences are establishing the learning laboratory in close cooperation. 2We develop techniques, procedures and strategies for the high-security sector, especially for public secret protection and for operators of networked IT infrastructures in close cooperation with the neighboring university," explains Prof. Dr. Peter Martini, Institute Director of Fraunhofer FKIE. "The results of our joint research will benefit further education in the cybersecurity learning lab," adds Prof. Dr. Hartmut Ihne, President of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.

The collaboration is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF. The scientists will focus their joint research on efficient tools for the detection of attacks and malware, the analysis of and response to cyber security incidents, the development of security technologies for building automation in smart buildings, and the analysis of the robustness and further development of biometric security methods. The opening of the learning lab will take place in the presence of BMBF State Secretary Thomas Rachel and Prof. Dr. Georg Rosenfeld, Fraunhofer's Chief Technology Officer for Technology Marketing and Business Models.

IoT - rapid response

With the increasing spread of networked microcontrollers and the Internet of Things, e.g. in manufacturing processes, energy supply or building control, corresponding security mechanisms are becoming more and more urgently required in these environments. The researchers are paying particular attention to the human factor in their development and application - the keyword being "usable security". After all, the success factor of security products is their usability. The functionality of security procedures must also be comprehensible to non-experts.

In addition, an essential part of the research work will be the automation of malware analyses for Windows as well as for mobile systems, embedded systems and industrial control systems. Due to the proliferation of new malware, supporting analysts with processes that are as automated as possible is essential. Finally, in addition to the detection and analysis of cybersecurity incidents, the response to such incidents is the third field to which the researchers are devoting themselves. Here, new procedures and tools are being researched to support the so-called "incident response".

A rapid and focused response to a detected cybersecurity incident is important to minimize its impact.

Biometric security

The currently available systems for facial recognition can only detect and ward off deceptions by facial replicas, such as artificial face parts and masks, to a limited extent. In the future, the cooperation partners will use their wide-ranging expertise to evaluate attack methods on biometric security mechanisms, analyze their potential threat, and develop countermeasures.

Preventing a shortage of skilled workers

The learning lab in Sankt Augustin is one of six cybersecurity learning labs that the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is currently opening at various locations in Germany. The main aim of the initiative is to improve the qualifications of specialists and managers in public authorities and companies and at the same time to counteract the serious shortage of specialists in the field of IT security. In order not to fall behind in the race against cyber criminals, specialist and management personnel must always be one step ahead of them in terms of knowledge and skills. With a modular, in-service training concept, Fraunhofer institutes and universities of applied sciences bring the latest research findings to the training courses offered by the Cybersecurity Learning Lab. Participants choose the appropriate modules in which they acquire practical security know-how and gain comprehensive qualifications in high-quality laboratories with up-to-date IT infrastructure.

The organization and management of the cybersecurity learning labs is the responsibility of the Fraunhofer Academy, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's continuing education institution.

Further information on the further education programme can be found at www.cybersicherheit.fraunhofer.de

Dr. Tobias Schüle joined PTW, which specializes in dosimetry measurement technology, in the fall of 2014. Since then, as Deputy Head of Finance and Controlling, he has been primarily responsible for the investment controlling of the nine subsidiaries. Previously, the doctor of economics worked for companies in the biotechnology industry in the areas of finance and investor relations.

Dr. Christian Pychlau, Managing Partner of PTW: "I would like to thank Dr. Edmund Schüle extraordinarily for his outstanding commitment - under his leadership PTW has grown from a 60-man operation to an international market and technology leader for dosimetry and quality assurance in radiation medicine. I am all the more pleased that Dr. Tobias Schüle, the new Managing Director, comes from our own ranks. As a proven strong analyst, he will sustainably continue the positive development of PTW, consistently expand our position as innovation and quality leader and be a reliable guarantor of our established values for our employees, customers and suppliers."

The new PTW CEO Dr. Tobias Schüle: "PTW enjoys an excellent reputation among its customers, the clinical radiation experts around the world. To meet their high expectations, PTW brings its full potential as a market leader to bear. The medical technology industry is synonymous with growth and accelerating innovation cycles, and we have accordingly set ourselves high goals for the coming years. As PTW, we are tackling the associated challenges with commitment and optimism."

PTW will henceforth be jointly managed by Dr. Tobias Schüle and Dr. Christian Pychlau. Dr. Tobias Schüle is responsible in particular for the high performance and further development of the Marketing & Product Management, Sales, Development, Service & Support, Human Resources and Finance & Controlling divisions.

Information under www.ptw.de

Around 200 guests celebrated the opening of the Satigny center, which is one of Iron Mountain's most advanced facilities in Europe.

• 14 % Oxygen content for fire protection reasons
• Almost 22,000 cubic metres of archiving capacity
• Volume for 432,000 archive boxes
• Automatic high-speed archiving (of up to 40 pallets per hour)
• Market leading safety and performance levels

robot controlled system

Iron Mountain now offers its business customers a market-leading security service to manage the entire process - from physical archiving to digitisation and automated retrieval of information. The state-of-the-art facility combines unique features such as a system to constantly reduce oxygen levels to 14 % for fire safety reasons, 100 % automated robotic retrieval of documents and secure archiving and management of backup tapes.

High-speed archiving

The facility can boast nearly 22,000 cubic meters of archival capacity, which allows for the storage of 432,000 archival boxes. An additional 400 square meters of capacity is reserved for the digitization of physical documents and their electronic management. The pioneering Swiss technology enables the automatic high-speed archiving of up to 40 pallets per hour. The latest technology was also used for access control, emergency power supply and security in the event of a main network failure.

John Wegman, Managing Director of Iron Mountain Switzerland, explains, "Switzerland was chosen by Iron Mountain for this facility because of the high number of local and international customers and the availability of world-class robotics and technology providers. We are proud to offer our customers the most advanced infrastructure and systems in the country and to showcase Switzerland's competitiveness in this field."

Iron Mountain has been present in Switzerland since 1993 and operates seven facilities nationwide. Visit www.ironmountain.ch for more information.

The strong franc continues to weigh heavily on Swiss SME exporters. At the same time, new technologies and competitors such as Uber or AirBnB are turning the situation upside down in many target markets. 85 percent of respondents feel greater competitive pressure today than five to ten years ago. 79 percent believe that their business model will no longer function as it does today in the coming years and are already addressing this challenge.

Becoming an innovation leader for business models

"Our companies are known worldwide for their quality products and services. But to survive in the global markets of the future, we need to go one step further and become innovation leaders for business models," comments Daniel Küng, CEO Switzerland Global Enterprise.

With clever ideas to export success

Many SMEs are already proving that innovative business models can be developed even with few resources. The four examples from Elite Beds SA, Ifolor AG, Berlinger AG and Berhalter AG in the S-GE survey demonstrate their approach. First and foremost, it is important to be creative and to think outside the box - for example, to adopt ideas from other industries.

The majority of those surveyed are not yet exploiting this potential. Only half of the SMEs work with targeted innovation partnerships and only about a third network with other companies within their own industry or beyond.

"The vast majority of SMEs are fully aware that they need to rethink their business model. Now they need to tackle this challenge even more consciously and think outside the box. Because the clever adaptation of the business model to each individual target market is the prerequisite for international competitiveness," says Daniel Küng.

You can read the full study with the four company examples and a commentary by Tamara Carleton, Silicon Valley innovation specialist, at download here.

The Swiss Ethics Prize, organized by the Vaud University of Applied Sciences (HEIG-VD) and launched for the first time in 2005, is an independent prize to promote ethical, sustainable development and social responsibility strategies of companies or public organizations.

The philosophy of the prize is that such measures should become self-evident and obvious to everyone. For this purpose, concrete projects are awarded that encourage others to further develop or imitate them.

In 2017, the following organizations were honored:

Social Fabric - sewing for the cause

The migration crisis leads many people to come and find asylum in Europe. It is difficult for these people to integrate into the labour market. In 2015, the Zurich company Social Fabric had the idea to propose sewing and language courses. These courses are first of all for asylum seekers and for the refugees and it teaches them to elaborate T-shirt, rummage compartments and other durable bags.

Migrants are now strengthening their skills to produce ecological and responsible products.

FOVAHM - Martigny Boutique Hotel

Persons with an intellectual disability are often less visible in society. Their relationship skills are little valued. The foundation FOVAHM wishes to change this. That is why it has opened a hotel-restaurant in Martigny, where essentially "feeble-minded" people work. The house has a Minergie label. In the in-house workshop, customers can also have products made.

Hunziker site - more than just living

In 2007, 50 housing cooperatives in the city of Zurich decided to join forces to do more than just "live". Their goal: to design and build sustainably and to focus on participation. Today, 1'200 people live here, coming from different social environments (students, disabled people, etc.). This neighbourhood not only respects the objectives of the 2000 Watt society, but it adapts dynamically to the expectations of its inhabitants.

You can find out more about this year's Swiss Ethics Award at here

Major security gaps were addressed in chapters of the ServiceNow study: Leading organizations are insufficiently responding to security threats to protect their data. 72 percent of Chief Information Officer (CISO) respondents from Germany said they do not address discovered data breaches.

Worldwide, the figure was as high as 80 percent. 72 percent also confirm that it is difficult to prioritize threats according to business criticality.

Critical distinctions

Time is money: 14 percent of CISOs in Germany (13 percent worldwide) report that security breaches have caused financial damage or image damage in the company in the last three years. Manual processes, lack of resources and personnel, and no way to prioritize threats prevent effective security measures.

As a result, many CISOs are expanding security task automation to strengthen threat response and mitigation.

"CISOs in Germany are increasingly investing more in data breach prevention and detection, but our study shows that the focus should be on response measures," says Georg Goller, Area Vice President Germany, ServiceNow. "Automation and orchestration of security measures is what CISOs are missing to significantly increase the efficiency of their security solutions."

Other study findings:   

• Only 20 percent rate the security measures in their company as highly effective (19 percent worldwide).
• Only 38 percent of CISOs in Germany and worldwide believe that their customer data protection solutions are highly efficient, and customers suffer the most as a result.
• 20 percent of German CISOs say that manual processes prevent the detection and defense against security threats. 18 percent believe that lack of resources is affecting security measures.
• Only 8 percent of CISOs in Germany believe that their employees lack the necessary skills to successfully prioritize security threats (globally, the figure is 7 percent).

A small proportion, 11 percent worldwide and 6 percent in Germany, who are described as "security response leaders" differ from the other companies in this respect,

• Automate more security tasks, including more advanced tasks such as trend reporting.
• Prioritize responses to security alerts by business criticality.
• Cooperate more with IT and other departments.

You can find more information on the ServiceNow study at this Link