In today’s digital world, where threats lurk around every corner, protecting your organisation’s data and systems is paramount. However, navigating the intricate world of cybersecurity solutions can be overwhelming and filled with acronyms like EPP, EDR, MDR, and XDR.

Understanding the distinct roles each plays is key to building a robust defence against cyber threats. This article aims to simplify your cybersecurity understanding of these solutions using clear and relatable analogies.

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP): Your digital doorman 

Imagine Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP) as the diligent doorman guarding your organisation’s digital entryway. They act as the first line of defence, meticulously checking incoming traffic and preventing known threats like malware and viruses from infiltrating your endpoints (devices like laptops, desktops, and servers) in the first place. Think of them as the initial security checkpoint, ensuring only authorised individuals and information enter your network.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Investigating suspicious activity 

If a threat bypasses the doorman (EPP), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) steps in as the investigative team. It continuously monitors your endpoints for suspicious activities, like unauthorised access attempts or unusual file behaviour.

When EDR detects something fishy, it alerts your security team, providing them with the necessary information to investigate and respond swiftly. Think of them as the security detectives who delve deeper, looking for hidden threats that might have slipped past the initial check.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR): Cybersecurity as-a-service

For organisations lacking the internal expertise or resources to manage their own EDR, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) acts as the dedicated security team. It offers the same investigative capabilities as EDR but with the added benefit of 24/7 monitoring and response by a team of security professionals.

Also Read: Securing tomorrow’s finances: Navigating the rise of digital banks with cybersecurity

They handle the entire process, from threat detection and mitigation to elimination and remediation, freeing up your internal resources for other critical tasks. Think of them as the outsourced security experts, providing continuous vigilance and taking decisive action against potential threats.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR): Seeing the bigger picture 

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) takes security a step further, acting as a central command centre. It goes beyond just endpoints and gathers data from a broader range of security tools across your entire IT infrastructure, encompassing networks, cloud workloads, email, user activities, and more.

By analysing this holistic view, XDR can identify hidden threats and potential vulnerabilities that individual tools might miss, providing a comprehensive understanding of your security posture. Think of them as the central hub that gathers information from all corners of your digital landscape, offering a unified view of potential security risks.

Nightclub security: Analogy for cybersecurity solutions

Still confused with those technical explanations. Let’s make it simple. Imagine a bustling nightclub with different security measures in place:

• Door bouncers (EPP): These are your first line of defence. They check IDs, prevent suspicious people from entering, and stop them from bringing in illegal items. In the cybersecurity world, Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP) act similarly, safeguarding your network by blocking known threats and malware at the entry point (endpoints like laptops and servers).
• Security patrol (EDR): Once patrons enter, an internal security team keeps an eye on things inside the club. They monitor for suspicious behaviour, identify troublemakers, and take action to address any issues. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) works the same way in cybersecurity. It continuously monitors your endpoints for unusual activities and potential threats and alerts your security team for investigation and response.
• 24/7 security service (MDR): If you don’t have your own security staff, you can hire a security company to manage your nightclub security. They provide 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and response. Similarly, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is a service offered by security professionals who handle threat monitoring, mitigation, and remediation for organisations lacking internal security expertise.
• Central control room (XDR): A central command centre oversees the entire security operation of the nightclub. It collects data from various sources, like security cameras and bouncers’ reports, to get a unified view of everything happening. Extended Detection and Response (XDR) functions similarly in cybersecurity. It gathers data from various security tools across your network (firewalls, email security, etc.) to provide a comprehensive view of your security posture and identify hidden threats.

Also Read: How an AI cybersecurity company harnesses the power of AI for optimal business performance

Choosing the right cybersecurity solution

The best solution for your organisation depends on your specific needs and resources. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose:

• EPP: Offers basic protection against known threats, ideal for organisations with limited security needs.
• EDR: Suitable for organisations with an internal security team seeking deeper insights into endpoint activity and the ability to investigate potential threats.
• MDR: Provides the same investigative capabilities as EDR but with the added benefit of 24/7 monitoring and response by security professionals. Ideal for organisations lacking in-house expertise or requiring constant vigilance.
• XDR: Offers a comprehensive view of your organisation’s security posture by collecting data from various security tools across your network. Best suited for organisations seeking a holistic understanding of their security landscape and wanting to leverage insights from multiple tools.

Remember, a strong cybersecurity strategy involves layering different tools. Combining these solutions strategically creates a robust defence mechanism, safeguarding your organisation against ever-evolving cyber threats. Understanding the differences between EPP, EDR, MDR, and XDR empowers you to make informed decisions and build optimal protection for your organisation.

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Singapore’s 2024 budget has reinforced our dedication to becoming a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, with an investment of an additional SG$1 billion (US$740 million) into the National AI Strategy (NAIS 2.0) over the next five years. This investment is directed towards enhancing AI computing, talent development, and industry growth, underpinning NAIS 2.0 as a cornerstone of Singapore’s digital economy and economic expansion.

The strategy emphasises the importance of upskilling and reskilling in keeping Singapore competitive amidst rapid technological advancements. Partnerships between the government and leading industry players are essential in driving progress in enterprises through continuous training and transformation.

Generative AI has seen a surge in interest and application across various sectors, demonstrating its capacity to transform business operations and daily life. Success in AI adoption hinges on thorough preparation and understanding of its mechanics, applications, and risks, necessitating collaborative efforts from government, private sector, and research institutions to harness AI’s benefits.

Singapore’s journey towards AI leadership is evident in the wide-ranging impact of AI technologies across different sectors, enhancing productivity, risk assessment, and decision-making processes. Notable examples include Nanyang Polytechnic’s use of AI for course preparation and the development of Temus’s AI-powered platforms to streamline talent management and support real-time verbal interaction.

Talent development: Core to Singapore’s AI strategy

NAIS 2.0, part of Singapore’s Smart Nation vision, aims to foster a digital transformation ecosystem where Singaporeans can build AI capabilities and facilitate idea and knowledge exchange, highlighting the importance of human capital in this AI-driven journey.

Also Read: Globalise your strategy, localise your conversations: the key to nailing native in new markets

This is where talent development programmes like Step IT Up come in, and they exemplify the national commitment to tech career transitions, aligning with SkillsFuture initiatives to ensure employability and meaningful careers in the tech industry. This approach, supported by industry leaders partnering with SkillsFuture, underscores the ‘hire, train, and place’ model’s effectiveness in achieving practical learning outcomes and business benefits.

Public and private sector partnership to accelerate safe AI adoption

As Singapore advances its AI agenda, addressing the ethical and regulatory challenges of AI will continue to be crucial, necessitating a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors to establish best practices and foster AI innovation responsibly.

AI Singapore’s (AISG) 100 Experiments (100E) Programme, for example, represents a significant move towards translating AI research into practical applications, signalling a shift from research to application phase and promising greater real-world impact and value creation.

The AI Singapore (AISG) community gathers multiple parties, such as economic agencies, academia, and the private sector, to drive AI innovation and adoption in the industry.  Since 100E’s launch in 2018, the programme has surpassed its research phase and is now well into its application phase, having supported over 100 projects with companies across various sectors, which will create even more opportunities and value for real lives and enterprises.

However, the journey towards securing Singapore’s leadership in AI innovation is not without challenges. With a proactive approach to addressing the complexities and opportunities of an AI-driven future, Singapore is laying the foundation for sustainable growth.

By fostering an ecosystem that encourages experimentation, investment, and knowledge exchange, Singapore is creating an environment where AI technologies can thrive. Through continued collaboration, research, and investment in talent development, the nation is equipping itself to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

With determination, foresight, and a collaborative spirit, Singapore is poised to shape the future of AI innovation and emerge as a global leader in this transformative field.

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Elevate Foods, a platform for small- and medium-sized farm-gate processors, has closed a US$525,000 pre-seed funding led by Wavemaker Impact (WMi).

Elevate Foods (owned by Singapore-based GBN Food Solutions) will use the capital to establish a network for processed agri-produce. It will also assemble a specialised team focused on sustainable food systems and enhanced quality management tools while building its footprint across the Gulf and Southeast Asian markets.

Also Read: A deep-dive into Wavemaker Impact’s decarbonisation strategies in SEA

Focused on combating food loss and waste, Elevate Foods empowers small-scale farm-gate food processors across India by providing access to global markets and ensuring compliance with stringent quality standards whilst creating a traceable and sustainable source of produce. It leverages technology and market insights to upgrade existing processors and build a more sustainable and resilient food ecosystem.

Elevate Foods’s business model intervenes at the beginning of the supply chain, creating a more sustainable and traceable solution for agri-produce buyers while working with farm-gate manufacturers to upgrade their operations and enforce stringent quality standards.

Its vision is to achieve US$100 million in revenue and mitigate 100 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the future.

“We see great potential in Elevate Foods’s creative approach of working through developing Indian farm-gate processors to tackle the trillion dollar food waste problem, which is responsible for about 4.5 Gigatonnes of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Equivalent (GtCO2e) globally,” said Quentin Vaquette, Co-Founding Partner at Wavemaker Impact. “By addressing the challenges faced by processors through greater profit-purpose alignment, Elevate Foods is poised to unlock new opportunities that will drive meaningful change in both the agricultural and food processing sectors.”

Also Read: How The Radical Fund discovers, backs, spearheads climate-resilient ventures in SEA

The global food supply chain grapples with unprecedented inefficiencies, witnessing alarming food loss and waste levels. Nearly one-third of all food produced annually is lost or wasted, translating to a staggering US$1 trillion in economic losses.

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X marks Echelon. Join us at Singapore EXPO on May 15-16 for the 10th edition of Asia’s leading tech and startup conference. Enjoy 2 days of building connections with potential investors, partners, and customers, exploring innovation, and sharing insights with 8,000+ key decision-makers of Asia’s tech ecosystem. Get your tickets here.

Want more from your Echelon experience? Be an Echelon X sponsor or exhibitor. Send enquiry here.

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“You are a whole that exists to live a life not half a life”– Kahlil Gibran

Your days are numbered. It really is.

After being in a bus accident in the deserted highway of Kenya where I saw death, I know in my bones that life is gorgeous and fragile.

If there are changes in your life that you silently craved but not had the courage to create. Whether it is starting a passion project, finding a life-partner, building a company, or feeling healthy and alive.  

Time gives you another chance.

You can change, you can evolve, you can help your life to blossom in the way that is gorgeous to you.

But change is hard, isn’t it? How many time did you set resolutions and forgot all about it? How many time did you intellectually know what you “should do,” and yet can’t help not doing it?

I had done it plenty of times… until I realized the nature of change and started helping myself

In this article, I’ll show you how.

You see. Change doesn’t happen overnight.

If you want to stop being depressed and start being happy, or if you want to be done with insecurity and begin to exude confidence, or if you want to stop being in the wrong relationships and start attracting healthy happy love…

There is no silver bullet, no magic pill, no motivational video that will help you change overnight.

I’m saying this from my 8 years of being both student and teacher in the field of personal transformation.

Change occurs in stages.

Look at nature, there are 20,000 species of butterflies in the world, but they all go through the same stages.

I’ve worked with serial entrepreneur, solopreneur, small and medium business owner, high-level executive, school teacher, sabbatical-taker, etc.

I’ve helped people going from painful breakup to blissful engagement, from being depressed and exhausted with work to have the “This is my dream job!” moment, from decades of taunting self-hate to finding self-love and experiencing the bliss that comes with it.

These are not small changes like changing a bathroom carpet. These are deep fundamental changes.

Across the board, I’ve observed that there are 8 stages of change. They happen in a beautiful order.

The reason people failed to make the last changes in life is that they skip the foundations. So it’s like asking a tree to grow without giving it the time to take roots.

If you’re still reading now, I know you want to change your life for the better.

First, let me ask you two questions

1. What change do you want to bring into your life?

I want to change/move from ________________ to ________________.

Example: I want to change myself from depression to happiness.

2. What are the things you want to make/build/create in your life?

I want to create _____________________.

Example: I want to create a healthy, supportive, and loving relationship.

Don’t spend too much time overthinking it. Just be intuitive and write down the first thing you sense coming in your mind or heart.

Make sure this is something your heart genuinely desires. Not something you think you want because society tells you that you should want those kinds of things. (Like how all your friends dream of becoming a corporate consultant. And you end up buying into that dream.)

Now, get to know the stages below. As you read, hold the change you desire in mind and reflect to see where you are.  

* This is just a summary of the stages. They’re too deep for me to cover in only 1 article. However, this will give you a comprehensive roadmap.

Stage 1 – Awareness: I see

Change is an intense process. But to resist change is ten times more painful.

If you’ve been living the same old year, having the same old problems over and over again, I know that you’re in pain. But you may not.

One of the biggest reasons why we don’t change and let our life evolve is that we’re numb from our own pain. We’re so busy being busy, distracting yourself with deadlines, Facebook notifications, games, alcohol… Being so distracted, we become desensitized. We’re sitting on a hot stove refusing to move because we can’t feel our buttock. And one day we wake up completely fried with depression, hormonal breakdown, cancer, or the urge to kill ourselves.

Often the first thing I need to do with people who come to me for coaching is to wake them up so they can see their reality loud and clear.

If you’re in a job that makes you exhausted and miserable and dead. It’s good to know that. If you’re in a relationship that drags you down instead of lifting you up. It’s good to know that. If you have everything from the outside but emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. It’s also good to know that.

Not to pity yourself and resent your life but to be aware. Allow yourself to feel the pain of your life acutely. And then allow it to fuel your desire for change.  

As a human, we’re wired to resist change.

The most potent reason for the change is when a person is so acutely aware of her life and surrender to the truth that she has no other choice.

Stage 2 – Desire: I want

“I want to find a new job.” “I want to find a life partner who supports me in all my endeavours.” “I want to make a good living doing what I love.” “I want to stop being depressed and start being happy.” “I want to start my own business.” “I want to write and publish a book.”

Statements like this, once clearly declared, has tremendous power. However, chances are, if it really means a lot to you, you don’t even dare to say it aloud.

Why?

Maybe you’ve turned failures into hopelessness. Or you’re afraid that you will disappoint yourself. The voice of your mother chimes in advising you to be “realistic.” And if you’re a woman, you think you shouldn’t want too much because you don’t want to be “demanding.”

One client asked me when I was guiding her through the process of uncovering her desires: “Is it okay for me to want this much?” As if she needs an authority to give her permission to want something.

So you choose to be “realistic” and be “content with what you have,” while in fact, you’re just playing small.

I say this with a lot of love because I’ve been there before.

However, your heart’s desire is life yearning for itself. The same way a plant yearns for sunlight. Then it’s our responsibility to stop being small, start to own what we want.

Stage 3 – Confidence: I can

Every single person I’ve ever worked with struggle with insecurity in the area of their life that they want to make a breakthrough.

You need confidence. Not “I hope I can.” But “I know I can.”  

They hear the voice of their Self-doubt: “I’m not young/smart/old/rich/experienced/strong… enough to do this.”

As soon as you believe in this thought, you’re hit by the fear of failure. These thoughts aren’t going to disappear soon. So you need to train yourself to be aware of them as they bubble up in your mind and choose not to believe in them.

However, it’s impossible to be confident all the time. Especially for women who have hormonal fluxes every month. There are days when I wake up feeling a complete failure. And that is totally fine.

A lot of people don’t know that confidence is highly experiential. I was born a highly sensitive introvert. I struggled with anxiety and insecurity all my life until I realize that I can fake it. I’ve spoken in 6 different countries, including 3 times on TEDx. Almost every single time before I came on stage I felt like I might vomit.

If you’re having a hard time with confidence, ask yourself: “What would I do if I were confident?” “What would I do if I absolutely believe that I can succeed?” Journal the answer and do just that. It doesn’t matter if you feel insecure, fake it and do it anyway. The doing will give you confidence.

A client of mine was a brilliant woman who felt shy about raising her voice at her workplace. As I guided her to repeatedly choosing to speak up, even if her voice shakes a bit while she does so, confidence slowly grows inside her. Now speaking up is her second nature.

Stage 4 – Deservedness: I deserve

This is the tricky one. Hardly anyone of us escapes childhood without any limiting beliefs about ourselves.

Beliefs like: “I’m not lovable.” “I don’t deserve love.” will absolutely block the change you want to happen. Because this translates to “I don’t deserve what I want because there’s something fundamentally wrong with me.”

When I was small, my father went through a tough period with alcohol. My child’s mind couldn’t understand why he was never happy with me. There must be a reason for it, and it concluded that there was something wrong with me.

Therefore throughout my early adulthood, I struggled with unworthiness and the shame of being fundamentally flawed. Naturally, I unconsciously punished myself the way my father punished me, through bad relationships, smoking, alcohol, sex, irresponsible spending, self-criticism… I’m sharing this is not to blame him. I love my father. But I needed to do a lot of deep inner work to heal our relationship and heal my inner child.

Once I was healed, I was able to release those beliefs. Then, I started allowing myself to receive beautiful things in life (instead of punishments). And I could work on creating a beautiful marriage, friendships, passion business, realizing my childhood dream… instead of sabotaging it.   

You see. The sense of deservedness is a consequence of doing inner healing work. I’ve met many people who are resistant to healing their inner child. They just want to get what they want. I always needed to remind them that healing is essential. Otherwise, it’s like a chain on your ankles. You just can’t move forward.

Stage 5 – Resolve: I take action

When you’re clear about your desire, when you’re in a state of confidence (or fake confidence) and when you believe you deserve what you want; your actions carry a different level of magnitude.

You’ll show up in your life more powerfully. You’ll make powerful choices and take powerful actions.

Still, I can guarantee that you will feel resistance towards it. In his book Do the Work, Steven Pressfield simply put: “Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel”

I don’t resist watching the entire Harry Potter series for the 6th time, but I indeed resisted writing this article. Anxiety, fear, procrastination, perfectionism, distractions… you name it. These are all resistance.

The big mistake is to think that you need to have the motivation and a perfect plan before you start working. But most of the time it’s the other way around, the actions itself bring momentum, motivation, and clarity.

So stick your butt on the chair to write that article. Or get out butt out the door for that meeting. Show up. Get to work.

Stage 6 – Wholeness: I give 100 per cent

I want to quote Khalil Gibran again here:

“Half a life is a life you didn’t live,

A word you have not said

A smile you postponed

A love you have not had

A friendship you did not know

To reach and not arrive

Work and not work

Attend only to be absent”

Over-thinking, second-guessing, doubting… These are all energy and time suckers on your path.

This year, I wrote my first book. After finishing the manuscript, I went into despair because I believed in the thought “This book isn’t any good. It’s a horrible idea.” I almost scrapped it. I wasted months going back and forth until I realized that these thoughts are just blocking me.

My book 10,000 Miles for Love is now published, and the response has been incredibly positive. 2 days ago, I got an email from a woman saying the book has such a profound impact on her that after finishing one chapter and she cried like a baby.

So if you’re on the journey, see it through to the end. Don’t talk yourself out of greatness.

Stage 7 – Grit: I’ll never give up

When you start working on making powerful changes in your life, you’ll be met with forceful challenges. You will experience failures, disappointments, disapproval, rejection, and heartbreaks. Notice I didn’t say “may.”

Even if you’ve done deep healing work, even if you hire the best coach who shows you every step of the way, even if you’ve read the Law of Attraction cover to cover and spent time daily to feel into what you want… there are always things out of your control.

The investor said no, the interviewer say I’m very sorry, the client said it’s not the right time, the ideal partner whom you gathered all your courage to confess your love to said he isn’t in the place to have a serious relationship right now, a reader left a negative comments on your book.

Or worse, nobody seems to care. Except for your family and friends who are very worried about your changes. They wonder why you’re trying so hard and acting so weird. They suggest/pressure/beg you to get back to “normal.”

And even if none of those things actually happen to you. Chances are: you’ll fall off course on the way.

Did you know that Apollo 11 mission on its way to the Moon was off course 97% of the time? Still, it reached its destination because of constant feedback and course-correction.

Your journey of transformation is a zigzag line. At times, you’ll look up and not even see the moon. And yet, you will need to persist.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned after nearly a decade of continuously reinventing myself is the importance of having support.

A mentor, a coach, an accountability buddy, a community, a soul-sister friend, a supportive husband… The more support I can gather for myself from the onset and along the way, the higher the chance of success I have – and the more joyful the journey become.    

These people can call me out when I’m bullshitting my way out of my dream. Tell me “No way” when I’m about to quit. They love me for the person I am and at the same time raise me up to the person I can become.

The biggest problem I often see when I work with strong independent people is that they want to figure everything out by themselves. They don’t know how to ask for support. They feel weak and almost ashamed that they need help from others. I’ve been there before.

True strength is to be vulnerable enough to ask for and receive help.

True wisdom is to recognize that you don’t know what you don’t know and use the expertise of others as powerful leverage for your dream.

Stage 8 – Alignment: I am

In this state, you have gone through the journey of change. You’ve given your absolute 100% and pushed through the darkest night.

You’re no longer the wannabe; you’re the dare-to-become.

I don’t believe in the motivational pop culture that says you’ll succeed in all of your endeavours if you work hard and believe. Like if you give it all up to follow your passion for a living, you’ll get exactly the stuff you want. I don’t think it’s that simple.

I’ve put 100% of myself in many things in my life, and I’ve “failed” many times (fail = not getting the outcome I expected.)

However, I always learned invaluable lessons. Secondly, whenever I pour my heart-work and hard-work into something and not getting it, I always was detoured to a path that is even more rewarding – the thing my soul needed more. I see the same thing in the clients I work with.

Two years ago, a woman started working with me because she wanted to be with a soulmate. After a few months of deep inner work, she let go of the old relationship, opened her heart, and was ready for new love. However, she realized a change in career was what she needed more.

So she quit the stable high-paying corporate job in which she felt comfortable but empty. Now she is leading a medium-sized business, continue challenging herself, and exploring her passion for art.

The universe told her that she needed to learn to be happy on her own before sharing her happiness with the man of her life. (Which is, by the way, the definition of real love.)

So you see, the journey is always, always worth it.

You climb a mountain not because you want to be on the mountaintop, just for the sake of it. Sure, while you’re up there you can marvel at the view for a few hours, or even a few days. But eventually, it gets boring.

You climb a mountain because of the things you get to experience on the wild trail.

The peaks, the pits, the plateaus. The morning of brilliant sunlight. The night with no moon. The flower on the water edge of a hidden spring. The song of a bird at dawn. The hoot of an owl at dusk. The times when you fall on your faces. And the times when you decide to move forward no matter what…

These experiences have enriched your soul and evolved your being in ways you couldn’t imagine. And isn’t that the whole point of living?

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This article was first published on October 24, 2019

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Often times, most companies will overlook the testing phase of a software lifecycle. But large enterprises understand the importance of software testing in the lifecycle; they don’t want to lose customers or unnecessary expenditure due to untested systems or applications.

Most enterprises have a software testing department — be it an in-house team or outsourced. The point is, they are aware of this important aspect of the software development lifecycle. Since they’re large enterprises, money and resources are not constraints for them, so it should be no issue for them to hire or outsource testing.

For startups, SMEs, it’s a different ball game. Aside from the costs, I’m quite surprised that most startups don’t even think about testing and the impact of not having a proper testing before releasing their apps. Most of the time, they think that developers/programmers have already performed their own tests so any additional testing is redundant.

Developer do the testing

“Since unit testing and test-driven development burst onto the programming scene in the early 2000s, too many programmers have deluded themselves into thinking that they could ship high-quality software with automated testing alone. It’s a mirage.” –

DHH – Creator of Ruby on Rails, Founder & CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37signals)

With the evolution of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), different kinds of programming methodologies have entered the picture. From Waterfall to Agile and now DevOps.

Also Read: t6 ways crowdsourced testing can help you build a great product

People tend to think that, with all these current methodologies, they can just automate testing and release it quickly. First of all, I agree with James Bach, I don’t like to call it Automated ‘Testing’ because it’s actually is ‘Automated Checking’, which is marvellous to complement testing, but it is missing something.

Testing needs to be performed by humans with deep and critical thinking. Based on my experience, some organizations want to keep up with the trends but don’t do it correctly.

For example, some organizations like to mention that they are using the Agile method or that they are in Agile environment, but actually, what they did is just ‘Waterfall’ and then they added a ‘scrum’ meeting and a ‘Kanban’ board. The timeline and everything, is still based on a waterfall model. This is still happening currently in some of the larger enterprises.

Even for automation, there’s a list of automation checking that you can do. From unit testing to regression testing. The regression testing script is written by the tester.

As for automation, I know of one major MNC here in Malaysia which is still struggling to set up their automation framework, even after 3 years. Yes, 3 years. You can’t solve everything by automation. Automation can help you do repetitive tasks faster and easier, but it can hardly explore and find bugs for you. Automation is scripted and it will execute based on how you script it. It can’t think and act like real users!

Costs and time

If you follow my posts, I believe you already know that I keep mentioning about this.

The first thing is costs. The main reason why a company doesn’t do proper testing is due to the cost-related issues. To hire a QA team or outsource the testing will cost them a quite the sum.

Also Read: AI software testing platform Autify receives US$2.5M seed round, gearing up for global launch

But if you have invested so much time and money on developing your app, why are you are willing to skip the testing and release an untested app? Do you know that the cost of fixing bugs in production is way more expensive than trying to fix them during development? Based on data by IBM, the cost of finding bugs is 30 times more expensive at the later stages compared the to design and architecture phases.

Not only that, don’t forget all the possible losses that you might have, such as losing your users’ confidence.

We are a startup/small/new company and so we can’t afford to do testing

Let me tell you this, not having any testing is basically a recipe for disaster. You think you’re saving some money in the beginning, but, you may lose so much more in the end.

Currently, most apps are similar to each other, since you’re a new player, what makes you different? The quality of your app! Having a quality app will help you retain your current users by earning their trust and confidence, it will also help you acquire new users!

Maybe some of you has a way of thinking like, “it’s ok. we’re new and we’re allowed to have  auntested/buggy app.” Well, now, let’s put yourself from the users’ perspective. I can bet that you don’t care whether this startup is new, or if its app was just newly launched, because what you care is the app working as intended. E.g. If it’s an e-commerce, all you care is to be able to make a purchase successfully.

Time

Most, if not all, companies want to release their products or apps at the soonest. Sometimes, they think, just doing minimal testing or ‘Happy Path’ or even worst, skipping the testing phase, shouldn’t hinder the app from being released. Often times, most companies will think that adding testing to SDLC will be time-consuming and delay the product launch.

Also Read: Software testing and development: Why bots and AI are the future

If you use the right expertise and the right testing method, testing can be done correctly without taking so much time. Most important things is the quality! We want to have a high quality app in order to ensure maximum customers and users satisfaction!

What’s the worst can happen if we don’t do testing?

Well, let’s see real-life events that happened due to software or application bugs.

• • Toyota recalls 625,000 cars over software malfunction.
  • Nissan Motor Company had to recall over a million cars due to the software bugs in the airbag sensor detectors.
  • 60 percent of Starbucks in the US and Canada being forced to close because they were unable to process payment transactions due to bugs in the POS system.
  • Let’s get closer to our SEA region
    • Malaysia’s biometric system error on 2011 : Travelers were pissed off after they were forced to wait nearly an hour and a half to pass through Malaysia’s immigration checkpoints. A lot of them had to change or cancel their travel plans all together, even worse is this happen during the peak holiday season.
    • In 2014, Jollibee lose millions of pesos a day due to a malfunction system that forced some of its stores to close.
    • A “software logic issue” with the new signalling system and a “confluence of failure conditions” caused the train collision at Joo Koon MRT station Singapore on Nov 15, 2017.

What works before must work now

If you see above screenshot, user were telling that before this, the app works just fine, but after updates, it doesn’t work anymore. This is because the developer or the app company didn’t do regression testing. Whenever you do updates or enhancement to your app, regression testing is a must! So that, it won’t break the previous release functionality or the whole business process.

Also Read: AI is not slowing demand for software developers in the Philippines

In cases where previous releases were not run through rigorous testing, for the next release, this is one version of the app you MUST do testing in your cycle!

The future of testing

When I started my career in the testing industry, there was a huge discussion that said manual testing will be replaced by automation checking. Well, up until now, manual testing is still in demand! This is due to the fact that automation checking can’t replace a human brain. All the decision making, test data analysis, and the most important part, thinking, can’t be done by the script!

Currently, the huge discussion now is that AI going to replace manual testing. My stance is as above: AI will surely help a lot and create a huge impact in software testing, but again, we still need human brains to do the thinking! It won’t take over the testing but surely it will change the way testing is done.

Software testing has evolved and will continue evolving. In order to stay relevant as a software tester, you need follow the changes. You can’t afford to be the same or just stick on whatever you’ve been doing for the past 10 years! Or else, you will be irrelevant! Put effort on learning new things, do some research etc.

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Image Credit: ronstik / 123RF Stock Photo

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This article was first published on April 16, 2018

The post Why the success of your startup depends on software testing appeared first on e27.