E-commerce supply chains are still coming to terms with the challenges of 2020. Retail businesses around the world over are being affected by COVID-19 through everything from rapidly changing customer behavior to supply issues. As stores closed, fulfilment centers locations increased by leaps and bounds. e-Commerce warehousing has increased over 70% for fulfilment locations and shipping ecommerce orders. That is almost 76% increase of online sales from last year. With almost another year ahead and no signs of normalcy, societal and supply chain shifts are likely to stick.
With so much going on, the most important element in ecommerce is data. This data includes PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security standard), which ensures that credit card information is being protected. ISO Standards that include security of data as well and most lastly and perhaps the most important, personal data that can be linked to companies, clients and individuals.
e-Commerce is especially vulnerable to website hacks, phishing, DDoS attacks to name a few. There are several other issues as well, almost 62% report that human error from manual management being one of the most common.

In this episode, Mr. Phillip Magness,  Technology lawyer and the National Forensic Technology manager, Melbourne, Australia , Board Member of TAPA Asia Pacific and invited speaker, Mr. Roger Lee, and Host Mr. Steve Mullins  Board Member of TAPA Asia Pacific discusses about the growing challenges and needs of security in e-commerce and IT.

[Highlights]

0:04:43- Threats to Supply Chains and their clients and how susceptible  they are to attackers.

0:08:40- Ransomware ,  how the data is being hacked off company sites.

0:16:42- Why companies are paying ransomware and how they remain loyal to their clients

0:21:49- Examples of why some companies are bought down and shut shop.

0:22:30- Dark Web and how it operates

0:27:50- Laws  and guidance under Australian laws against hacking and phishing data

0:30:50- Educating company workers and other staff about cybersecurity

0:33:38- TAPA standards on cybersecurity and IT.


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Global supply chains are rushing for peak season demand now and many are relying on trucking to move their cargo to customers. Past statistics have shown that cargo crime increases significantly during the peak season, especially for products like electronics, food and beverages and apparel. And with Covid-19, a report from Sensiguard earlier in this year has revealed a 56 per cent year-on-year increase in cargo theft activity and expects more to come during this peak season as eCommerce shipment volume rises. 

In this episode, Mr. Roger Lee, Board Member of TAPA Asia Pacific and invited speaker, Mr. Verghese Thirumala, Managing Director of Maxitulin discussed about the latest smart technology in tracking cargo on the move for trucking security and data analytics.

[Highlights]

• 0:03:25 – Weekend and Public Holidays are time periods for theft attempts due to lack of security scrutiny starting from the end of the week, Friday.
• 0:09:31 – Two key theft-prone areas of focus: At facilities including visitor and vehicle management, and for vehicles on the move including tracking logistics, driver and vehicle information.
• 0:11:52 – Increase in TAPA Trucking Security Requirement (TSR) audit certifications and endorsement to ensure technologies and security processes meet the global
• requirements.
  0:23:50 – Visitor management System, vehicle barrier gate, and vehicle recognition system at facilities for verification and tracking .
• 0:34:02 – Big data and video analytics: How data is captured and used in these smart technologies for analysis to improve operations.
• 0:39:36 – Future outlook of global supply chains: Development in trucking logistics, IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digitalization and emphasis on visibility.

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At a macro level, supply chains are now discussed at the strategic more than ever before. Across Asia Pacific, the supply chains are experiencing the key trends from white-collar automation to greater supplier collaboration and digitalizing the supply chain to deal with the diversity stemming from the pandemic. These trends bring about a high demand for supply chain professionals at all levels including security professionals and operational staff for distribution and logistics.

Tony shared about the two key skills required in supply chain professionals - ability to screen and select the right technology vendor and partner, and the ability to analyze and interpret data. With new supply chain changes, Tony and Roger discussed the best practices and key concerns for recruitment and training in the new supply chain.

[Highlights]

• 0:01:11 – Current trends on supply chains: White-collar automation, greater supplier collaboration, decentralizing and digitalizing the supply chain.
• 0:06:23 – Impact on recruitment of supply chain professionals: vendor selection for technology and ability to analyze data.
• 0:10:27 – Complexity to select supply chain technologies such as blockchain: Subscription-based services versus cloud-based services
• 0:13:56 – Value chain recruitment focuses on the entire customer experience and connectivity between business functions to meet customer expectation and need for data exchange.
• 0:15:45 – Best practices for recruitment: Clear timeline, alignment of skills required between functions and transparency in process.
• 0:22:02 – Challenges for training the supply chain security professional: Barrier of entry, speed of change, and practical application of theories learned.
• 0:28:52 – Future outlook for supply chains: Software and technology demand, rise of eCommerce, and transformation of supply chain networks.

[More Information]
Please visit: https://www.tapa-apac.org/podcast-5-be-ready-training-recruitment-for-supply-chain-security-professionals/

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With nations still under social distancing laws and remote workforce arrangements, COVID-19 continue to prompt large demands on certain products such as foods items and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). While this has brought about greater focus on manufacturing, it has also given rise to increased slavery operations and trafficking schemes to reap profit from high-value items. Often, these slavery operations are masked under manufacturing activities and remain unnoticed for long periods of time.

[Highlights]

• 0:03:14 – CSI collects anonymous information about human trafficking from industry partners and law enforcement agencies. Data will then run through the CSI analytics capabilities against other complimentary databases.
• 0:06:03 – Gaps in global supply chains and the need to review the possible security and visibility gaps depending on the mode of transportation – road, air, or sea.
• 0:09:34 – Main techniques of human trafficking involve putting employees into debt from transportation and living expenses, withholding passport, and physical or emotional threats against oneself and their family members.
• 0:13:21 – Financial red flags and money laundering to hide proceeds of other illicit activities such as drug smuggling, wildlife trading, counterfeits trading.
• 0:23:28 – TAPA Incident Information Service (IIS) can help to provide cargo crime data information to NGOs like CSI and law enforcement agencies to combat illicit activities.

[More Information]
Please visit: https://www.tapa-apac.org/tapa-podcast-4-exploited-combating-human-trafficking-in-asia-supply-chains-a-network-of-organised-illicit-crime/

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Today, there are over 40 million of modern slaves worldwide, of which 30 million are in the APAC region. Each year, 9.2 million new slaves enter modern slavery, resulting in 25,200 new slaves per day or one new slave every 4 seconds! Unfortunately, 64 percent of modern slavery is associated with supply chains, with an annual revenue of USD 150 billion generated. In several recent media stories, it was reported that 103 people died in botched smuggling efforts – 39 Vietnamese died in a container bound for the UK and 64 in Mozambique. 

[Highlights]

• 0:03:25 – Implications of COVID-19 on modern slavery. The World Bank estimates half of a billion people will enter into poverty, increasing their chances of being vulnerable to modern slavery circumstances.
• 0:07:53 – Vulnerabilities and process of modern slavery. Most organisations are lacking supply chain visibility and are unable to identify these risks within different parts of the supply chain.
• 0:11:44 – Case study analysis and how debt is created for these workers. People are smuggled and trafficked within supply chains on a day-to-day basis but this crime is often unreported.
• 0:15:35 – Types of intervention and risk management strategies available. Friedman offers an understanding of modern slavery risks, and how reviewing company policies and conducting regular spot-checks can help to mitigate these risks.
• 0:23:26 – What can companies do to address these issues? Blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies are tools available to increase supply chain visibility and reduce oversight.
• 0:29:03 – How adopting security standards are essential measures to put in place? TAPA standards outline control measures and monitoring of containers and trucks that can help to reduce exploitation.
• 0:33:45 – Are private sectors addressing the slavery issue enough? Only 0.2% of modern slaves are helped by the world each year. Organisations should start to contribute and address modern slavery risks that go beyond business risks.

[More Information]
Please visit: https://www.tapa-apac.org/podcast3-103-deaths-modern-slavery-the-global-supply-chains-a-complex-system-of-bribery-corruption/

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Covid-19 has forced countries to go into lockdowns with travel restrictions and work-from-home arrangements. eCommerce is again faced with a massive increase in demand. Companies are moving into digital retail platforms and direct consumer deliveries through subcontractors and third party logistics providers. TAPA and BSI have collaborated to release the “Final Mile Cargo Theft Report” in response to the new security challenges posed on global supply chains with the rise of eCommerce. David shares the latest insights and trends from the report and the impact of Covid-19 on eCommerce.

[Highlights]

• 0:01:48 - eCommerce has seen a massive growth with increased demand due to COVID-19.
• 0:06:07 - eRetail sales are becoming into a new norm. Logistic service providers focus on a shift towards delivery services directly to end-consumers instead of store fronts.
• 0:09:38 - Organizations face new types of organized and opportunistic risks.
• 0:16:49 - Data shows an increased crimes leading to festive seasons and more "porch pirates" emerging as eCommerce grows.
• 0:22:46 - Mitigation strategies against last mile cargo theft include employing trusted personnel, education, measures and consistent standards across third-party suppliers and subcontractors.
• 0:25:46 - 46% of the last mile incidents data in 2019 were mostly pilfered goods from vehicles.
• 0:36:06 - Root-cause analysis can be done to mitigate the root-cause which significantly outweighs the costs as future losses are prevented.

[More Information]
Please visit: https://www.tapa-apac.org/tapa-podcast-2-how-covid-19-has-impacted-ecommerce-and-the-new-challenges-that-supply-chains-face/

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With the surge in demand for pharmaceutical products to contain the spread of coronavirus, there has been multiple reports of counterfeit drugs and theft of healthcare products across the world. TAPA APAC Chairman and host, Mr Tony Lugg welcomes invited speaker, Mr Ramesh Raj, Regional Manager of Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI) Singapore to share his views and knowledge about supply chain resilience in reducing the growing threat of counterfeit drugs.

[Highlights]

• 0:01:23 – The impacts of coronavirus in the pharmaceutical industry include theft of cargos, security issues and counterfeit products.
• 0:09:33 – End-to-end supply chain visibility system help to avoid infiltration and security breaches to give an competitive advantage.
• 0:11:58 – Prescriptive drugs eCommerce operators must know the dos and don’ts, work with brand owners and regulators to lower the risk and avoid penalties for wilful blindness.
• 0:16:27 – Operation Pangea grew to over hundred of countries to join forces and have stopped more than 100 million units of medication seized and made over 3,000 arrests.
• 0:21:32 – PSI partners with global organizations including Interpol, FDA and other law enforcement agencies to combat pharmaceutical crime as an on-going effort.
• 0:23:13 – Customs officers across Asia Pacific countries may be difficult to establish a consistent standards due to infrastructure limitations, differences in technologies and economies.
• 0:26:30 – Increase in digitization of supply chain and data flow has an two-sided impact – improves supply chain visibility but also brings forth additional security challenges.
• 0:31:16 – Security of distribution network of pharmaceutical products across markets and borders can be improved through authentication
  technologies, registration of trademarks and other methods.
• 0:39:15 – Information sharing on counterfeit incidents with law enforcement agencies are updated annually. Collaboration should extend to partnering firms and associations.

 
[More Information]
Please visit: https://www.tapa-apac.org/tapa-podcast-how-can-supply-chain-resilience-help-to-reduce-the-growing-threat-of-counterfeit-drugs/