Tag: #ENTERPRISE

Safecility’s ‘Safeblock’ Project to Use Satellite Technology To Transform Building Safety and Monitoring

Dublin-based Safecility, an Internet of Things (IoT) specialist startup that focuses on smart and safer buildings, has been chosen by the European Space Agency’s Space Solutions Programme to demonstrate a new blockchain-based database for building safety. Currently, building safety is managed on paper or spreadsheets and has yet to adopt the transformative change that digital technology can bring.  The project, Safeblock, starting in Q1 2022 will address this challenge through sensors, geolocation and distributed ledger technology (blockchain), providing timely, accurate and transparent information for a range of stakeholders.

Safecility will demonstrate a database capable of verifying legally-required safety data collected from smart sensors in buildings and publishing it to a secure database that cannot be manipulated. The data will make use of the GNSS  (Global Navigation Satellite System) derived positioning data  to authenticate the data entries.

Safeblock supports trust by offering a standard for transparent and immutable data from devices in buildings and making a database directly available to key stakeholders, such as owners, tenants and regulators. Safeblock addresses key issues internationally around building safety, trust and compliance and the Safeblock standard will support more trusted sharing of information, better safety enforcement and support moves to introduce a Golden Thread for building safety.

Safecility already develop and sell their smart building sensors for emergency lighting and fire safety across the UK and Ireland. The company offers a platform to manage compliance testing and reporting to customers. With ESA support, the company will offer Safeblock so building safety data can be shared among all parties in a trusted way. The startup has already been shortlisted for five  awards including the UK’s Housing Digital Innovation award for its technology and ambition.

The two year project is rolling out in Q1 2022 and supports Safecility’s vision to support safer communities through technology. It also underlines the importance of research, development and innovation to the startup’s success and represents another vote of confidence in the IoT sector in Ireland.

Speaking about the announcement of the contract, Safecility CEO Cian O’Flaherty said “We are delighted to continue our work with the  ESA’s Space Solutions programme on Safeblock. They have supported this project since its inception and are a fantastic resource for companies with innovative ideas for services using space data and technology. Safeblock will fundamentally change how building safety is managed and improve transparency, trust and safety in buildings. Technology has a crucial role to play in ensuring ongoing safety of buildings to the standards we all want. We see Safeblock as a key tool in the regulator’s toolbox to keep owners, tenants and occupants informed and safe. It can address global challenges with a simple, truthful record of building safety built on sensors that report in real time. In the same way we have come to expect a BER (building energy rating) for any property, a BSR (building safety rating) is now becoming possible.”

“Since 2018 Safecility has been awarded more than €550,000 in Research, Development and Innovation contracts”, he continued, “this has enabled the company to increase staff and contribute to the development of a vibrant Irish Internet of Things startup community. With the support of the ESA, Safeblock will now recruit additional roles in development and engineering. This project cements Safecility’s reputation as leading global innovators in the field of smart, safe buildings.”

Rita Rinaldo, Head of Projects and Studies Implementation Division at ESA added “Through the Business Applications and Space Solutions programme we support start-ups and new-entrants to the space sector such as Safecility to develop, test, and scale-up their business proposition. Safeblock is an excellent demonstration of the innovative utilization of GNSS, IoT and digital technologies applied to the housing sector. It will contribute to solve the urgent issued around building safety faced by tenants, occupants and regulators, delivering a standard to be used internationally.” 

Welcoming the announcement, Gearoid Mooney, from Enterprise Ireland said:

“Safecility is an ambitious, innovative company that is changing how we monitor and report on the critical issue of building safety. The European Space Agency contract will support Safecility to combine the most advanced satellite positioning technology into its building safety management platform leading to safer living environments for building occupants and tenants.

 “Safecility is one of a number of Irish start-up companies use space-based solutions to develop commercial market opportunities.  This access to transformative technology is  supported by the Government’s investment in the European Space Agency.

3,000 additional jobs enabled by launch of expanded Guinness Enterprise Centre incubator

Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), a top global incubator in the heart of Dublin City – in the presence of Leo Varadkar TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment – today launches its new 100,000ft2 space following a €10M expansion project. A €1M phase two investment has now been announced and will commence immediately. Due to strong demand, the GEC has already committed 80% of its additional capacity to start-ups and expects to be at full capacity by early 2022.

 Representing €11M in total investment, the expansion was funded by the GEC; Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF);) the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’ Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) administered by Enterprise Ireland; Dublin City Council; Diageo; and Dublin BIC. It consists of two additional floors at the GEC’s home in Dublin’s Liberties and is enabling a 75% increase in net floor space with capacity for 762 start-up employees.

Over the next five years, 3,000 additional jobs will be supported by the GEC’s expansion. This will include 1,500 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs. The additional jobs will bring the total number of direct jobs supported by the GEC to 5,000 by 2026.

 Collectively, the investment will enable the GEC to support 150 resident companies – up from 85. The facility can accommodate 220 co-working companies, up from 160.

 Resident companies will benefit from the GEC’s start-up and scaling ecosystem, which includes CoConnect – the GEC’s partnership with more than 50 regional and international hubs – the Prosper Programme, which introduces CXOs to key local decision-makers; and the University Programme, which gives start-ups access to MBA business executives in 35 top Irish and international business universities. In 2019, the GEC was named by UBI Global as a World Top Private Business Incubator.

 GEC graduate companies include cyber telecoms security company, AdaptiveMobile Security, which was acquired for €45M this year; cryptocurrency start-up, Circle, which was recently valued at almost $3BN; and cloud software company, Qualio, which raised $50M in funding earlier this year. Current residents include gaming studio, Black Shamrock, which now employs more than 80 people; and digital health software company, Wellola, whose co-founder Sonia Neary was a finalist in the global Women in Tech Awards in Paris in 2019. Others include Selio Medical, Volograms, Benetel, Examfly, Kinia and Amnexis Digital Solutions.

 

Leo Varadkar TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: “This expansion is fantastic news for the future of entrepreneurship in Dublin City and a real boost to those already putting their ideas into action. By providing the space and network for start-ups to thrive, we are bringing entrepreneurship and innovation into the heart of the city and providing the right environment for the creation of world-leading Irish companies. The Guinness Enterprise Centre is one of the top incubators in the world. This investment will support 3,000 more jobs over the next five years. I’m excited to hear about the success of the companies who originated here in the future and I want to pay tribute to the GEC team for their vision and dedication in bringing the Centre to the next level.”

 

David Varian, Chairman, Guinness Enterprise Centre, said: “This expansion project was completed during a global pandemic that brought challenges including construction shut-downs, escalating building costs and reduced operating income due to public health restrictions. Surmounting these obstacles is testament to the resolve and vision of all partners involved.

“The newly-expanded space will give more entrepreneurs access to the supports, networks, learning and investment funds they need to scale globally. They will be creating more jobs in the local community and contribute significantly to Ireland’s economic growth. In the next five years, they will return almost €77M to the exchequer. We are creating a global entrepreneurial superhub that will give our start-ups every opportunity to become world industry disruptors.”

Sonia Neary, co-founder and CEO, Wellola, said: ”The GEC has provided us with vital supports for starting and scaling Wellola. It has given us access to investors, business advisors and learning opportunities, along with office space in a supportive business ecosystem. Choosing the GEC was a no-brainer; it’s where everything we need is.”

Donal Murphy, Senior Investment Director, ISIF, said: “This project is an excellent example of ISIF’s double bottom line mandate in action – a commercial investment underpinned by the GEC’s successful track record which is now set to deliver significant and ongoing economic impact. The transformation of the GEC into a top-class enterprise centre of scale will help Irish businesses to collaborate, grow and create employment into the future. The successful completion of the project, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, speaks volumes for the GEC team’s professionalism and resilience. ISIF welcomes this official opening as the start of many successful years ahead for the GEC.” 

Here’s What You Need to Know About Enterprise Security in the COVID-19 Era. #Covid-19 #Security

In the wake of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, organizations around the world have adopted social distancing practices to slow the spread of the disease, including instructing many employees to work from home. But no one could have foreseen the need for businesses, government agencies, and other organizations around the world to quickly transition the majority of their workforces to remote work. 

 

The fast transition, the sheer number of people now working from home, and the already-devastating economic effects of the pandemic are among the factors that make this time an especially perilous one for enterprise security. IT security teams are struggling to keep up with increased threat levels from COVID-19-related malware and other cyber threats. Newly remote workers are leaving their companies’ networks vulnerable to hackers, and COVID-19-related cyber scams are on the rise as hackers seek to cash in on the crisis. Here’s what you need to know to keep your company safe.

Educate Employees About COVID-19 Cybersecurity

If your organization hasn’t already been giving employees regular cybersecurity training, then you need more help than this article can give. If you have been giving employees regular cybersecurity training, now is not the time to slack off. You should be aware that COVID-19-related cyber scams are proliferating at a mind-boggling pace. By mid-March, Computer Weekly was already calling COVID-19 the biggest cyber-threat in history, due to the massive volume of related malware and scam emails already circulating by that time. By mid-April, Google reported blocking 18 million COVID-19-related scam emails a day. 

 

Cyber criminals love to play on the emotions of their victims to cash in, because users in the grip of a strong emotion, like fear of a deadly disease, often aren’t thinking straight. They’ll click on links or download attachments that they might otherwise have ignored. And many people around the world, having lost their jobs or been physically restricted to their homes or neighborhoods, are looking for a way to make a living, so the ranks of cyber criminals may be swelling, too.

 

That’s why it’s so important to educate employees about the cybersecurity risks associated with COVID-19. Regular security training will keep employees vigilant against suspicious emails that might land in their inboxes. Make sure to send out regular memos warning employees of common COVID-19 related malware and phishing scams as they emerge. Your employees may not be targeted by specific scams, but knowing what kinds of things to look out for can help them protect the enterprise network.

 

Of course, you’ll also need a security solution that can detect vulnerabilities and threats and work to neutralize them. Your employees will be reporting suspicious emails, perhaps in greater numbers than ever before, and your IT security team will be facing more threats than it probably ever has in the past. Make sure you have a comprehensive enterprise network security solution to help your team meet these new challenges.

Require a VPN and Regular Security Check-Ins

Your employees’ home networks won’t be as secure as your enterprise network, because it’s unlikely that employees have intrusion detection or protection on their home networks. That’s why you should require employees to connect to the company’s network through a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN can hide your employees’ activities on your network, and help protect your information from thieves.

 

You should also set network security standards for employees working from home. Put together a security protocol that includes securing devices physically, keeping work and personal emails separate, and locking down their home networks. Implement regular security check-ins with staff to make sure they’re using multi-factor authentication to log into enterprise systems and work email accounts, and to verify that they’re implementing the enterprise security protocols for their home networks. 

Give Employees Company Devices to Work from Home

It might be tempting to allow employees to work from home on their personal devices — it would save your organization a lot of money on laptops. But you don’t know what employees are doing on their personal devices when they’re not on the clock, what antivirus and antimalware protection they’re using, or how tight their security is. It’s easier to protect your enterprise network when you issue company devices to employees who are working from home. It’s also easier to keep an eye on those employees to make sure they really are working when they’re supposed to be. When you issue company devices, you’ll be able to synchronize the same endpoint solution across each one, to remove some of the vulnerabilities that can come with a rapid distribution of teams.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty with it, especially when it comes to keeping your enterprise network secure. Don’t let the challenges of this pandemic leave you vulnerable to cyber criminals. Protect your network, so you and your employees can weather the storm.