Enterprise Tech Happenings: April 2023

Enterprise Tech Happenings: April

2,800 students to benefit from a partnership between Illumina and the Science Centre Board

A partnership between Illumina and the Science Centre Board aims to inspire 2,800 students through the power of genomics, where they will learn about DNA and life sciences through hands-on DNA extraction experiments on fruits and other living organisms. STEM learning sessions will also be conducted for students from charity organisations and selected schools to grow their interest in life sciences and learn about different careers in the STEM sector.

AngelHack announces the launch of Singapore’s annual flagship hackathon, hacksingapore

AngelHack announced the launch of hacksingapore, with support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and partners Alibaba Cloud, Meta, VMWare, Mercedes Benz, Heineken, and Trust Bank. The month-long hackathon comprising physical and virtual events will conclude with a finale at Asia’s flagship tech event organised by IMDA – Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) and the winner of the hackathon receiving the grand prize of SS50,000. Besides bridging the tech skills gap, the hackathon aims to infuse aspiring tech talents with skills that tech organisations need, as well as guidance, and drive action to use tech for good.

Only 8% of SGX 200 companies actively block fraudulent emails

Proofpoint’s analysis of the top 200 companies listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) found that 92% of them lack any active email authentication protocols, and more than half (52%) have not implemented any necessary email authentication protocols. This puts not only their organisation at risk, but also leaves their customers, partners, and employees vulnerable to supply chain attacks. This could explain why Proofpoint’s “State of the Phish 2023” report found that 72% of Singaporean organisations experienced at least one successful email-based phishing attack in 2022, with nearly half (46%) reporting direct financial losses as a result. The company recommends using Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) protection to authenticate the sender’s identity before allowing the message to reach its intended recipient.

UOB to build new global technology and innovation centre in Punggol Digital District

UOB has announced plans to invest more than S$500 million to build its new global technology and innovation centre in JTC's Punggol Digital District (PDD). Targeted for completion by the end of 2026, the 300,000 square feet centre will house around 3,000 staff who will be involved in technology, innovation, and digital roles for the company. The new centre will also incorporate green building features and technologies to drive energy efficiency including rooftop solar panels, integrated building management and smart lift systems, and air quality monitoring and improvement solutions.

UOB will also be housing its innovation accelerator, The FinLab, at PDD to foster closer collaboration between tech partners, start-ups and SMBs. From accelerating early-stage fintechs to scale, to helping SMEs transform digitally and sustainably across the region, The FinLab has supported more than 20,000 businesses since its inception in 2015. 

Singapore businesses saw a three-fold increase in web threats targeting businesses in 2022

According to security firm Kaspersky, Singapore businesses saw the highest year-on-year jump in terms of web-based threats targeting businesses last year. The country logged more than a three-fold spike (329%) after Kaspersky’s business solutions blocked a total of 889,093 web attacks, an increase from 2021’s total of 207,175 incidents. According to the company, most threats are successful due to either human or technical error with full protection from web threats meaning that businesses will need to find ways to cover these weak points.

Appdome survey finds 59.2% of Singaporeans prefer using mobile apps compared to a web version

According to Appdome’s  “Singapore Consumer Expectation of Mobile App Security survey”, 59.2% of Singaporeans prefer using mobile apps over web channels, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year. When compared to the global baseline, Singaporeans are 10.7% more likely to choose mobile apps first than their global peers. Nearly 60% of Singaporeans believe mobile banking apps and eWallets need the highest level of security. On-device malware concerns jumped significantly amongst Singapore consumers, up 222% when compared to similar findings from 2021

Fujifilm launches new Lazada official store

Fujifilm Business Innovation Singapore has announced their partnership with Lazada to launch the brand’s first official LazMall flagship store in Singapore. With hybrid work in mind, the newly launched e-store features the company’s latest line of printers. It will also host a full suite of essential hybrid work tools, including a new webcam and QHD Touch Screen Monitor. To celebrate the opening, Lazada is offering a discount of up to 23% off to celebrate the launch of Fujifilm Business Innovation Singapore’s e-store, with the following discount options:

• Option 1: With a minimum spend amount of S$80, the first 400 customers will receive a S$5 discount voucher to use on their next purchase.
• Option 2: The first 200 visitors to the FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore e-store on Lazada will receive a S$10 voucher with a minimum spend of S$250.

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