1. Briefly introduce your company?

We are the world’s leader in invisible digital technologies for counterfeit protection. Simple and industry-proven, our cost-effective, high-security digital solutions to combat counterfeiters protect billions of packages of branded products across industries worldwide, including in the areas of pharmaceuticals, tobacco, spirits, lubricants, precious metals, and government. Counterfeit detection is performed using a smartphone.

2. Briefly introduce yourself and explain what do you do for your company?

I am the CEO and co-founder of the company. Part of my responsibility is to make coffee 😊

3. Explain your products, services and solutions

AlpVision Cryptoglyph is a digital invisible mark that is applied to printed items such as cartons, labels and blister packs using regular visible ink or varnish and standard printing processes (offset, rotogravure, flexo, laser, inkjet, etc.).

AlpVision Fingerprint is a unique breakthrough covert anti-counterfeit solution that tracks and authenticates products. This solution applies to a wide variety of parts, such as molded bottles and caps, electrical appliances, mechanical parts, precious metals, watches, imaging supplies and most plastic molded products available on the market today.

4. What makes your products, services and solutions unique in the industry?

AlpVision authentication solutions are some of the most innovative technologies in the world but at the same time they are industrially proven at large scale: we protect over 30 billion products per year.

5. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry?

This industry is starting to consolidate. Most large brand owners have already deployed anti-counterfeit technologies and will not change easily because of the switching costs.

6. what are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

Brand protection technologies for the digital world are of limited usefulness since what matters is the link with the physical object. In this sense NFT or Block Chain do not address any of the actual needs of anti-counterfeit. Best strategies are to focus on technologies that are proven to be easily implemented and proven to be used effectively in the field.

7. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

Consolidation.

8. What you will be discussing at Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

Our latest technological advances.

9. Your expectations from this conference and few words about PGS.

Meet many prospects!

1. We wish to welcome our guest from the company Koenig & Bauer, Mr. Schubert. Could you briefly introduce your company?
For over two centuries, Koenig & Bauer has been enabling its customers to produce high quality media, packaging, specialties and security documents. As technology leaders in many fields, we are pushing the boundaries of “printing” every day!

2. That sounds amazing, could you share a little bit about yourself and explain what you do for Koenig & Bauer?
During the last twelve years with Koenig & Bauer I have worked in different positions starting as Mechanical Fitter, Design Engineer and finally as Director for Data, Vision, and Authentication Solutions. I am leading a team of engineers and visionary people who are creating solutions, which inspect, protect and authenticate banknotes, packaging and much more.

3. Very impressive, but could you be a little bit more specific about the solutions you are offering?
Koenig & Bauer is your one-stop-shop for every solution. Hardware or software needed for the creation of packaging, warranty cards, banknotes and all other printed media you may think of, and it does not stop there, we also offer as well as design services for your products, the possibility to produce secured packaging as an end-to-end solution provider.

4. What makes your products, services and solutions unique in the industry?
With our outstanding position as full-solution provider for equipment for the design, production and inspection of banknotes and with the world’s broadest expertise in different printing techniques we are able to meet virtually every demand for printing, coating or coding any product or substrate.
In the last 3 years, we have developed new capabilities in the field of digital authentication and we are very proud of our technology for the authentication of banknotes and packaging.

5. What do you think about the Brand Protection Industry? In addition, what are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of digital/physical world?
With the triumph of the Internet, wide varieties of distribution channels have opened up. The classical controls by manufacturers are becoming more and more challenging. At the same time, customers always expect impeccable support from manufacturers. An effective brand and product protection strategy can help to support the customer in the best possible way and prevent damage to the brand owner.Effective protection of packaging integrity and a link between the packaging and the product itself is the key to achieving seamless supply chain control and customer satisfaction.

6. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?
We see that the trends in brand protection, including the banknote industry, are pointing towards sustainable and digitally enabled solutions. Already today, some customers do not want to rely exclusively on the reputation of a merchant, but use their own authentication options. This demand will increase and will be driven by regulations.

7. What will you be discussing at the upcoming Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?
Koenig & Bauer will present its portfolio of digital-enabled solutions, that do not require any additional inks, patterns or substrates. We will show that packaging can also be verified by end customers and that Koenig & Bauer can help brand owners to minimize risks and costs. We do not only offer stand-alone solutions, but also can expand existing systems, supply a complete production line or provide consulting support for specific problems.

8. Your expectations from this conference and a few words about PGS.
I am looking forward to attending the conference again this year and expect fascinating discussions with industry colleagues, distributors and brand owners. PGS will provide a convenient setting and guarantee that there will be a pleasant exchange of ideas.

1. Briefly introduce your company?

With almost 30 years of experience serving its customers and partners, Nameshield is the reference provider for domain name management, security and brand protection. Nameshield was founded in 1994 and is ISO 27001 certified. Nameshield is at home in the world of cyber security and brand protection. Recognised by our peers, we anticipate the current and future challenges of business and government. Nameshield is, among others, a member of the ICANN Stakeholder Group, ecoverband and TeleTrusT. The Nameshield Group protects trademarks and domain names on the Internet. In a turbulent technological and regulatory environment, Nameshield has been able to develop innovative solutions that have formed the basis of long-term partnerships with our customers. These innovations have always followed one guiding principle: to protect the digital brand presence of companies. Nameshield operates sovereignly and is owned by its employees. Social commitment is important to us, which is why we have established the Esperancia Foundation Fund, whose aim is to finance charitable projects that support disadvantaged children and young people.

2. Briefly introduce yourself and explain what do you do for your company?

My name is Gérard Gourjon and after more than 20 years with Nameshield, I am currently the Managing Director of the company.

3. Explain your products, services and solutions

Nameshield is committed to make the internet safer. We offer a wide range of products and services that evolve and are able to adapt to cybersquatters and attackers:

• Looking at the lifecycle of a domain, our services start with domain registration and the management of your domain portfolio.
• Nameshield’s DNS offers ensure the availability of all online services, e.g. including Premium DNS, Registry Lock, DNSSEC, SSL/TLS management and DMARC services.
• Nameshield offers monitoring and surveillance of brands to be alerted when a suspicious domain is registered, when counterfeiting occurs or phishing takes place, especially in your name. Thus the solutions of Nameshield defend your brand and thus the damage of your reputation.
• Other services include audits of domain portfolios, domain strategy advice and legal services such as domain procurement and takedowns as well as UDRP actions.

4. What makes your products, services and solutions unique in the industry?

Nameshield’s clear focus on customer proximity makes us unique as the portfolio represents the entire chain: from web entry over DNS to monitoring & surveillance. We have excellent and trusting relationships with our customers, which is particularly relevant when fast action is required. As a European service provider, we have a strong focus on our customers in the European market. Nameshield’s comprehensive offering allows you to access expert support for all aspects of domain name management (e.g. ongoing management, legal services, technical security – SSL – DNS, DMARC, online brand protection, monitoring). Our global multi-user platform and flexible billing system (differentiated by location, department, cost centre) guarantee easy management of large domain name portfolios.

5. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? And what are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

For companies, the first important step is to be aware of their brand’s value and the need to protect it. The stronger the brand they own, the more people try to take advantage of their notoriety by occupying domains related to their brand and misusing it in various ways. Thus it is also necessary to define a good balance between preventive recordings and defensive actions. Very often we have to assert that it is more cost-efficient to act forward looking and enlarge your portfolio of domains than running the risk of somebody else owning an important domain related to the brand. In order to be able to act quickly, employees who are responsible for brand protection need a clear mandate and a well-defined scope of action – ideally agreed with the management. A good understanding of one’s own domain portfolio in combination with the right tools for monitoring and surveillance is necessary to quickly identify threats and take appropriate action. Depending on the own level of knowledge and time availability, it also makes sense to involve a legal partner who, if necessary, can immediately take autonomous action within the previously agreed limits.

6. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

The actual brand protection will increasingly grow together with the topic of IT security, to mention DNSSEC, SSL/TLS certificates and DMARC as keywords. In addition, it will be interesting to see what impact NIS2.0 and the intensified ideas of European digital sovereignty will have on brand protection. Another related topic is the coming round for dotbrand top level domains for brand owners. In any case, one thing is certain: the field will not slow down and thus automation becomes more important.

7. What you will be discussing at Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

Nameshield’s focus at the conference is on innovative solutions for brand protection and critical examples. Our innovation in brand protection will lead to more automation and faster detection time to ensure the damage to brands is as minimal as possible. Nameshield is working on data qualification in order to be able to automatically indicate a criticality index.

8. Your expectations from this conference and few words about PGS.

From the conference we expect stimulating discussions with interesting contacts and exchange on currently relevant topics. The exchange with PGS in the run-up was very good.

1. Briefly Introduce your company?

Established over 150 years ago, Nestlé is the world’s largest, most diversified food and beverages company. We have a unique global footprint and sell our products in 188 countries worldwide. Through enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, we aim to deliver sustainable, industry-leading financial performance and earn trust.

2. Briefly Introduce yourself and explain What you do/what is your role at Nestlé?

I’m the Data Protection Champion working in IT Risk&Compliance Team. focuses are privacy and data security. I have a double soul; one is legal as I’m a lawyer and the other is IT as I did my MBA in cybersecurity. This hybrid is essential in practice as I’m able to have the full picture every time.

3. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? and What are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

It seems obvious that protecting a company’s Internet protocol, customer, and proprietary company information (e.g., financial data, employee data) should be a strategic priority for most firms. An often-overlooked consideration, in fact, is the impact that a breach can have on the brand–consumer relationship which the company develops and nurtures over time with the consumer.

Research suggests that one of the most important firm assets are the trust that firms establish with consumers, and I cannot be more in line with this statement.

Thinking about strategies, there are 2 important points: Ownership and Process. The first one is appointing people with roles and responsibilities and the second is about setting up clear procedures.

4. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

Involving marketers, the experts who largely manage the consumer–brand interaction and relationship. Consumer data are a priority for many firms, yet marketers largely are uninvolved in either proactively developing crisis-management plans or helping mitigate the damage once a breach happens. This lack of marketing- and consumer centered involvement may be one reason why breaches are so costly.

5. What you will be discussing at 17^th Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

I will discuss the impact of cybersecurity on brand image and why proactive marketing action is needed for managing data breaches.

6. Your expectations from this conference and Few words about PGS.

Really would like to connect with people and get inputs on how we can change the vies on brand protection in the light of the current scenario where data breaches and cybercriminals are everywhere. I think PGS can give the opportunity to exchange and enrich ideas and point of views on the common framework.

1. Briefly Introduce your company?

Siemens Healthineers AG (listed in Frankfurt, Germany: SHL) pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. As a leading medical technology company headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, Siemens Healthineers and its regional companies are continuously developing their product and service portfolio, with AI-supported applications and digital offerings that play an increasingly important role in the next generation of medical technology. These new applications will enhance the company’s foundation in in-vitro diagnostics, image-guided therapy, in-vivo diagnostics, and innovative cancer care. Siemens Healthineers also provides a range of services and solutions to enhance healthcare providers’ ability to provide high-quality, efficient care. In fiscal 2022, which ended on September 30, 2022, Siemens Healthineers, which has approximately 69,500 employees worldwide, generated revenue of around €21.7 billion and adjusted EBIT of almost €3.7 billion. Further information is available at www.siemens-healthineers.com. 

2. Briefly Introduce yourself and explain What you do/what is your role at Siemens Healthineers?

As part of Siemens Healthineers IT, I am driving digitalization as IT Strategist heading the OpenIT Studio. We are a super passionate and highly diverse group, catalyzing early-stage IT innovations. Our methods as Design Thinking are heavily human centered and our approaches span from problem framing, over ideation to rapid prototyping, for which we leverage especially lowcode technologies and our well-established IT infrastructure.

3. What do you think about Cybersecurity Industry? and What are the best strategies to secure businesses from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

While I think that it is impossible to secure from every possible threat, I do believe that constant awareness, learning, and adaption are key. Therefore, two main dimensions – technology and people – are important, as well as the touchpoints of these of course.

4. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Cybersecurity Industry?

As digitalization constantly advances exponentially, so will there be more opportunities for potential threats and risks. Mechanisms to protect data, processes, and systems will be crucial from the designing and conceptualization, over building-in and adapting, operating and monitoring, to reacting. Successful approaches will always need to consider the people aspect in multiple facets, e.g. regarding awareness and education, touchpoints and interfaces, (user) experiences and interactions.

5. What you will be discussing at IT & Cybersecurity Intelligence Conference?

Aside from the technological facet, the key factor for regarding potential risks and also strengthening cybersecurity, is the human being. Within the session I will share insights and learnings from a gamified approach, allowing to leverage experience based learning and positive group dynamics in the environment of cybersecurity.

6. Your expectations from this conference and Few words about PGS.

I am very much looking forward to the conference to connect on human centered and technological aspects of cybersecurity, as well as to learn from experiences and get inspirations from other companies and experts. I am thankful to PGS for establishing this interactive format and the smooth organization.

1. Briefly introduce your company?

Authentic Vision is headquartered in Salzburg, Austria, and has a strong global presence in anti-counterfeiting authentication technology solutions designed to protect a brands investment in product innovation, brand value and reputation. At the same time our solutions can create new opportunities to increase trust and engagement with consumers around the world.

2. Briefly introduce yourself and explain what do you do for your company?

As the Chief Business Officer my role in the business is simple, to listen to the needs of our clients, the broader markets they operate in, and to understand how they intend to grow their business by connecting their physical goods to enhanced digital services.  At the same time educating our clients, partners, and supply chain networks in ways to decrease the impacts of illicit trade to their strategy.

3. Explain your products, services and solutions

Authentic Vision’s mobile authentication solution offers secure and instant authentication technology that prevents counterfeiting, ensures license compliance and prevents fraud. The company has a proven track record in the brand protection space, with global clients in wine & spirits, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts, brand licensing, network infrastructure, cable & connectivity, agrochemicals, and industrial parts

4. What makes your products, services and solutions unique in the industry?

Our entire proposition is based upon a unique cryptographic algorithm using the reflection of light to create a truly unique signature for every item. It’s so unique even we can’t replicate it. This enables unique digital identity for every item, which is the entry door to many associated digital services.

5. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? And what are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

The BP industry is becoming a more crowded space of providers all vying for position, usually focused on only one element of the discipline, usually authentication.  However, BP is itself an umbrella proposition which touches three main elements: Authentication, Traceability and Consumer Engagement. The most robust strategies are those which harmonize these three disciplines. There also appears to be two main camps within BP, Physical and Digital, and to really derive benefit from a program a brand needs to consider how both are exploited for consumer benefit, and the brands market gain.

6. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

We at Authentic Vision envision three main dynamics:

Firstly, the promotion of additional value being derived from Digital Twin, further, and in this context relevant, the rise of blockchain. Last but not least, interacting with products becoming a ubiquitous behavior.

7. What you will be discussing at Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

Our keynote should take look beyond the classic concepts of brand protection: We will highlight the importance of Consumer Engagement, and give examples how physical products can be securely connected to the digital world e.g in Web3 Applications. Furthermore we will show possibilities how to involve the consumer to be the primary protection force, enabled trough a mass authentication solution.

8. Your expectations from this conference and few words about PGS.

Our expectation from this conference is to connect to many brands to understand where they are in their journey to engage with their customers and consumers, what is stopping them from connecting their physical goods to their digital brand and where illicit trade is interfering with their business. We are excited to build a strategic partnership with PGS, their partner network and their delegates to promote our message of.

1. Briefly introduce your company.

At Acviss Technologies, we take pride in being an innovative and customer-focused company that specializes in brand protection solutions and customer engagement services. Our mission is to help businesses protect their brands from the negative impacts of counterfeiting by providing cutting-edge technologies and services that combat the issue effectively. We believe that brands should be able to authenticate their products, track their supply chain, and engage with their customers to build loyalty and trust. Our solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of our clients, and we work closely with them to ensure that their brand protection needs are met effectively.

2. Briefly introduce yourself and explain what do you do for your company.

I’m Vikas Jain, the Founder and CEO of Acviss Technologies Private Ltd, where we’re revolutionizing brand protection and customer engagement with cutting-edge anti-counterfeiting solutions. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, I’ve been fortunate enough to leverage my passion for technology to create innovative solutions that solve real-world problems. I hold a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital and Technology from the University of Maryland, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication from RVCE in Bengaluru. Prior to Acviss Technologies, I founded Guruspeaks and Kayeura Technologies, and have worked with notable companies like Ericsson and New Market Venture Partners. In addition to my professional work, I’m also an active contributor to social initiatives in medical emergencies and have dedicated my time to mentoring and investing in startups. I’m committed to driving positive change through technology, and I’m excited to continue growing Acviss Technologies and making an impact in the industry.

3. Explain your products, services and solutions

• Certify by Acviss offers unique, tamper-proof certificates integrated into your product’s packaging which enables verification of authenticity.
• Origins by Acviss uses Blockchain technology to track and trace your products throughout their lifecycle on a real-time basis.
• Bonus by ACVISS releases custom-branded apps for its clients, enabling customers to download and claim their rewards by scanning the labels.
• Assist by Acviss is the warranty management tool that allows customers to track their warranty and help eliminate fake warranty claims. 
• TRUVISS by Acviss is a one-stop solution against online counterfeit threat. Real-time updates and automatic detection give TRUVISS a competitive edge in the market.

4. What makes your products, services and solutions unique in the industry?

Although brand protection solutions are in high demand recently, our non-replicable unique identity that is integrated into the packaging and product makes us stand out from our competitors. This also allows us to track and trace products from the raw materials to its end customer. We are also able to protect products across different channels, online and offline. E-commerce platforms have now become the playground for counterfeiters and we are able to tackle that problem with our use of machine learning and AI tools. We are able to employ AI to scan the domain, social media, apps and product listings to find fakes which can eventually harm businesses.

5. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? And what are the best strategies to secure brands from every possible threat of the digital/physical world?

With the rise of e-commerce and globalization, brands face threats from every corner of the digital and physical worlds, the brand protection industry plays a crucial role in mitigating the risks of counterfeiting. The counterfeit market has touched the $4 trillion mark and there’s so much we have to do to stop that. The impact of counterfeiting extends beyond financial loss to include damage to a brand’s reputation, consumer trust and public safety. To combat these threats, businesses must adopt a multi-layered approach that combines advanced technologies with proactive monitoring and enforcement strategies. This includes the use of authentication technologies like Holograms and proprietary codes to track the supply chain, monitoring social media and the internet for unauthorized use of their IPs, taking legal actions if necessary and educating customers to be the first line of defence against counterfeits. Through these efforts, businesses can maintain consumer trust, protect their reputation, and safeguard public safety.

6. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of the Brand Protection Industry?

The brand protection industry is evolving due to various dynamics. With more businesses going digital, the threats of brand impersonation and counterfeit products are increasing, creating a need for more innovative brand protection technologies. Collaborations between brand owners, government bodies, and law enforcement agencies are also on the rise to combat counterfeiting and brand abuse. Above that, customer awareness and demand for authentic products are increasing, pressuring businesses to invest in more transparent brand protection programs. So there is an evolving regulatory landscape aimed at protecting consumers and businesses from the impacts of counterfeiting and brand impersonation, which is becoming a necessity for any brand across industries.

7. What you will be discussing at the Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

Our presentation covers two important topics related to brand protection. First, we’ll discuss the use of AI and machine learning algorithms for the automatic detection of counterfeits in the online world. With more businesses going digital and it’s becoming increasingly important to have sophisticated brand protection technologies that can address these challenges. We’ll explore how AI and machine learning can be used to detect counterfeits and prevent them from harming businesses and customers. Second, we’ll look at enhancing supply chain security with AI and non-replicable anti-counterfeiting technologies. Counterfeit products can enter the supply chain at any point, which poses a significant challenge for businesses. We’ll explore how AI and non-replicable anti-counterfeiting technologies can help enhance supply chain security and prevent counterfeit products from entering the market. Our presentation will provide valuable insights and information on these two important topics for anyone interested in brand protection and supply chain security.

8. Your expectations from this conference and a few words about PGS.

We expect to meet industry leaders to learn crucial insights which could help us build and refine our solutions and also to share our knowledge on how we were able to protect more than 1 billion product across the globe. It would be a great opportunity to meet potential partners and customers who would join hands with us to secure their product and brand from counterfeits. PGS has been excellent in walking us through the on boarding process. It has been a good experience working with them and hope to do more business with them in the future.

1. Briefly Introduce your company?

Siemens is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, it creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empower its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to support the everyday for billions of people.

For nearly 175 years, pioneering technologies and the business models developed by Siemens have been the foundation of its success. As the Siemens central research and development unit, Siemens Technology (T) plays an important role in this effort by leading the development of tomorrow’s technologies. At Siemens Technology, the technology field “Cybersecurity & Trust” supports Siemens divisions and business units through, e.g., technical consulting, security analyses, the design of security architectures, the development of security components, and the standardization of suitable security architectures in international committees.

2. Briefly Introduce yourself and explain What you do/what is your role at Siemens AG?

I started working at Siemens Munich almost 6 years ago as a research scientist in the domain of embedded systems security. I have been part of several projects, ranging from hardware security to security of connected solutions. I have been involved in many supply chain security related projects as well, concerning track and trace solutions, anti-counterfeiting related activities, supply chain integrity measures, etc. Now, my position is senior key expert for supply chain security. I also represent Siemens business units at Plattform Industrie 4.0 AG3, i.e., security for networked systems and I am a DIN delegate at ISO TC 292 WG 4 and ISO JTC 1 WG 13. At ISO TC 292, I am authoring a standard for framework for establishing trustworthiness along any supply chains.

3. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? and What are the best strategies to secure businesses from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

Brand protection industry is a vast and diverse industry with many variables and aspects to secure against numerous possible attacks. Additionally, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution in brand protection industry because of diverse nature of attacks and their impacts, different national and regional regulations and varying assets to secure.

In my opinion, a good strategy would include identification of assets and possible impacts in case of a breach. Based on that, appropriate solutions must be deployed to protect brand against known and foreseeable attacks, such as anti-counterfeiting solutions, brand image protection, etc.

4. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

There are already several solutions available for brand protection and many new ones coming up to meet the upcoming brand protection demands. I believe that we need standardized approaches, in parallel, to adopt brand protection related activities right from the product design phase and include them along the supply chain. Additionally, appropriate laws and regulations would help in the adoption of standardized approaches in brand protection domain. Standardized brand protection approaches would also ensure interoperability between different brand protection activities that are carried on in silos.

5. What you will be discussing at 17^th Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

At the conference, I’ll be talking about supply chain trustworthiness and how brand protection is an essential aspect of supply chain trustworthiness. I’ll also introduce ISO 22373 and introduce an approach to achieve trustworthiness along any supply chain.

6. Your expectations from this conference and Few words about PGS.

At the conference, I would like to meet people who are active in brand protection industry and would certainly love to exchange ideas with them and find synergies for possible future collaborations.

I am grateful to PGS for organizing this conference and bringing the experts from brand protection industry together under one roof. I believe the topic of brand protection is crucial for many industries and we should have collaborative approaches instead of siloed solutions.

1. Briefly Introduce your company?

Mazars is an international organization specializing in audit, tax and consulting. We have grown into an integrated partnership in 95+ countries with 47.000+ experts. Our “Risk Consulting” business includes auditing and consulting services like Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), Cyber-Security Strategy & Governance, Information Security Management Systems, Cyber-Security Audit & Compliance and Data Protection. Especially when it comes to our focus on Cyber-Security, we attach great importance to the quality of results achieved through our high level of competence and alignment to our core values: Integrity, Responsibility, Diversity & Respect, Professional Excellence, Independence and Stewardship. As a strong provider of Cyber-Security audit and consulting services, we act in a risk-oriented, needs-based and pragmatic manner. Our services are constantly adapted to the rapid changes in digitization, constantly growing threat landscape and legal requirements. Mazars designs solution suitable to all company sizes from a start-up to a multinational corporation and is acting in most branches.

2. Briefly Introduce yourself and explain What you do/what is your role at Mazars?

Dr. Roman Krepki graduated in Computer Science in 2000 from the Technical University of Berlin. He worked in scientific research at the Fraunhofer Institute for IT Architecture and Software Development and holds a Doctoral degree in Natural Sciences. As a Cyber-Security expert, he was leading Accenture’s regional Business-Continuity & Disaster Recovery Practice for seven years. By accepting the role of an Information Security & Data Protection Officer of Robert Bosch – Automotive Electronics, later working in its Headquarters for ten more Years, he acquired further practical auditing experience, ISO27001 and TISAX knowhow. Today Dr. Krepki is affiliated with the 8^th-largest auditing, tax advisory and consulting company – Mazars, based in Stuttgart – and covers all its ISO27001-related topics on Information Security Management Systems, Cyber-Security Risk Management and Data Protection. He is providing audit and consultancy services in Cyber-Security to financial industry customers (Banking and Insurance), healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, automotive suppliers and in the public sector.

3. What do you think about Cybersecurity Industry? and What are the best strategies to secure businesses from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

When talking about Cyber-Security experts from various origins often use same words with different meaning. Terms like “IT-Security”, “Information Security”, “Data Protection”, “Safety”, “Cyber-Defense”, “Resilience” and similar are supposed to mean the same. In reality they do not! And it gets even worse when it comes to more specific topics like risk management. Do we really need to have a common nomenclature to understand each other? May be yes, but, unfortunately, such mix in terminology is not completely avoidable. Why? “IT” is known to be a cross-sectional branch across almost all business areas, as nearly every business need IT to function effectively. In turn Cyber-Security can be seen as a cross-functional branch across almost all IT areas, as all IT aspects need to have Security integrated inside in order to function properly. Such that we have a really wide range of areas where experts are coming from to play their roles in the topic of security. And they all are used to different terms. But why is it so difficult to sell Security to the stakeholders? If you buy IT, the RoI is pretty clear: Investor pays to obtain something is happening. If you buy Security, one needs to make an investment aiming at some things do not happen and just the business as usual is able to keep on growing. My personal view on Cyber-Security is that it does not need too many restrictions, constraints and limitation imposed by more and stronger protective controls. Rather a good security expert is one who firstly knows the own terrain by having most current inventory of own crown jewels and who secondly knows the potential enemy by having made a good threat landscape, vulnerability and risk analyses. Having Cyber-Security organized properly will increase the effectiveness of present controls, let retain business flexibility, save business’ resources for more important engagements.

4. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Cybersecurity Industry?

My personal visions of the future of Cyber-Security Industry is that it is rather shifting from IT-Security and technical security more into the direction of Risk Management, Awareness for internal associates and Resilience. It would move from building-up of preventive controls and systems more towards improving the ability to identify a threat as early as possible and to being able to recover and mitigate damages, i. e. being resilient against occurring threats. Several Security-related aspects will potentially also shift to more focus around the design of technology and will less focus on problem-solving in retrospect. Rapid technological advancements also lead to more spectrum of attack and defense, and with Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Home, Cloud Services etc. becoming a hot topic today, security will be amongst their top concerns. We will hopefully see more standardized roles for Cyber-Security professionals.

5. What you will be discussing at IT & Cybersecurity Intelligence Conference?

At the IT & Cyber-Security Intelligence Conference I would like to present why and how the widely accepted and well-known international standard on Information Security Management Systems (ISO 27001) has been updated recently and why that update is important to strengthen the effectiveness of present protective security controls. Assuming that a well-organized eco-system is able to perform better than a chaotic one, it looks pretty evident that a well-understood and simple organization of same security controls will be able to protect your corporate crown jewels better than, if you would be required to patch different typed of gaps in your security perimeters. Nevertheless, the most recent update of the ISO27001 and ISO27002 introduces 11 new controls, some of which are focusing on current trends and technologies, like cloud services, threat intelligence, SIEM & SOC and data protection. Definition of protective controls in these areas were indeed overdue since the latest major update of that standard since almost ten Years. Consequently, I am looking forward to object for more efficiency in currently present security controls by adding organization, management and order to a present Cyber-Security eco-system which hopefully will result in a higher Return of Investment (RoI) for the business.

6. Your expectations from this conference and Few words about PGS.

My expectation from the IT & Cyber-Security Intelligence Conference is to meet and speak to other participants interested in convincing their key stakeholders, CIO and CEO for a more organizes and properly orders and structured way of how Information Security should be implemented in their organization. Potentially those people could struggle selling Security to these corporate stakeholders and may require assistance and support from an external source for illustrating, where are the biggest gaps in their security controls. My main objective is to set a vision throughout the other conference participants about the power of structure and order in the topic of security. Platinum Global Solutions (PGS) is one of the world’s expert providers and promoters of strategic conferences, professional trainings, business-to-business congresses and interactive workshops. PGS maintains the highest standards of quality and service in research, technology and product development.

1. Briefly Introduce your company?

Amazon Transparency is a brand protection program launched by Amazon in 2017 that enables brands to authenticate their products and prevent counterfeits from entering the Amazon marketplace. The program involves assigning unique codes, called Transparency codes, to each unit of a product, which can be scanned by Amazon and consumers to verify the authenticity of the product.Brands can enroll in Amazon Transparency by creating a Transparency account and uploading product data to Amazon’s database. Once enrolled, they can apply Transparency codes to their products’ packaging and shipment labels. When a product is scanned, the Transparency code is verified, and the user can view information about the product’s authenticity, including manufacturing and expiration dates, and other details.By leveraging Amazon Transparency, brands can protect their intellectual property, prevent unauthorized sales, and increase customer trust in their products. The program also provides real-time monitoring of the marketplace for potential counterfeits, allowing brands to take swift action against violators.

2. Briefly Introduce yourself and explain What you do/what is your role at Amazon?

My name is Güneri Tugcu, husband and father of two incredible kids. In my role as Sr. Partner Manager within our Amazon Transparency EU teams, I’m closely working with strategic, enterprise companies on traceability and strategic brand integrity solutions. With 23 years of industry expertise, I feel privileged to say that I’ve had the chance to work with some of the most exciting, global brands, throughout various industries and incredible experts in different fields. My extensive background in the creative and technology industry, in strategic digital transformation projects, such as digital content solutions for consumer engagement, traceability for supply chain efficiency and brand integrity as well as sustainability projects has been the backbone of my professional career. Combined with different mentoring programs, providing guidance and support to new start-ups and founders, I’m blessed to call my passion, innovating for the new normal, my profession.

3. What do you think about Brand Protection Industry? and What are the best strategies to secure businesses from every possible threat of digital/physical world?

Brand protection is a critical component of any business strategy, as counterfeiting and unauthorized sales can lead to significant revenue loss, damage to brand reputation, and potential legal liability. In recent years, the brand protection industry has seen significant growth and innovation, as new technologies and strategies emerge to help businesses combat these threats. One of the best strategies to secure businesses from every possible threat of the digital/physical world is to take a holistic approach to brand protection. This means identifying all potential threats to your brand, both online and offline, and implementing a comprehensive strategy to mitigate those risks.

Some key elements of a comprehensive brand protection strategy include:

• Monitoring online marketplaces and social media for unauthorized sales and counterfeits.
• Implementing serialization and authentication technologies, such as serialized 2D codes, to track products and prevent counterfeiting.
• Educating employees and customers on the importance of brand protection and how to identify and report potential threats.
• Conducting regular audits and assessments to identify vulnerabilities and adjust the strategy accordingly.
• Engaging with law enforcement and legal authorities to pursue counterfeiters and other perpetrators of brand fraud.

Overall, the key is to stay vigilant and proactive in protecting your brand, utilizing the latest technologies and strategies to mitigate risks and ensure the long-term success of your business.

4. What dynamics do you believe will outline the future of Brand Protection Industry?

Increased adoption of technology: The brand protection industry is likely to see increased adoption of technology as businesses look for more advanced and efficient ways to protect their brands. This could include the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other emerging technologies to track and authenticate products, detect counterfeits, and monitor online marketplaces. Greater collaboration between businesses, governments, and law enforcement: In order to effectively combat brand fraud, businesses will need to work more closely with government agencies and law enforcement to share information and resources. This could include the creation of specialized task forces or other partnerships to investigate and prosecute counterfeiters. Focus on customer experience: As consumers become more aware of brand fraud and the risks associated with counterfeit products, businesses will need to prioritize customer experience and trust as a key component of their brand protection strategy. This could include implementing user-friendly authentication technologies or providing transparency into their supply chain to build customer trust.Rise of global supply chain transparency: With supply chains becoming increasingly complex and global, businesses will need to prioritize transparency and traceability to ensure the authenticity and quality of their products. This could involve greater investment in track-and-trace technologies or the creation of supply chain certifications to build trust with consumers. Overall, the future of the brand protection industry is likely to be shaped by acombination of technological advancements, increased collaboration, and a growing focus on customer experience and supply chain transparency.

5. What you will be discussing at 17^th Global Brand Protection Innovation Conference?

The holistic approach of Amazon with our Amazon Brand Protection solutions, focusing on our successful serialization program, Amazon Transparency

6. Your expectations from this conference and Few words about PGS.

I’d love to share our insights and engage with the other experts and attendees/ audience to share and discuss current and future developments as well as critical aspects and the strong need for further consulting towards brand owners. And of course, I’m really looking forward to network with such an incredible group of speakers and the audience.