ABOUT AUTHOR

Youness EL Kandoussi is a seasoned Consultant Risk Expert with over 23 years of experience in Operational Risk Management, Islamic Finance, and Professional Training. He holds a certification as an Operational Risk Expert from the London School of Business & Finance (2018). Throughout his career, Youness has successfully led numerous large-scale projects for various banks, from conception to completion, ensuring their success in terms of costs and timelines. He has also been actively involved in conducting training programs on Risk Management for executives and employees of Financial Institutions, Public Administrations, Cooperatives, and Associations. Accomplishments Youness EL Kandoussi's notable accomplishments include: • Conducting successful certified training programs in Risk Management for professionals across different sectors. • Moderating and participating in various seminars and conferences within the financial industry and FinTech. • Implementing Operational Risk Management Systems and Risk Mapping for prominent institutions like SGMA, CDG Invest, and Umnia Bank. • Leading the implementation of Operational Risk Management Systems and Reporting projects, including functional specifications development and System implementation.

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WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND UPDATE JAN 2023

Inflation Peaking amid Low Growth Global growth is projected to fall from an estimated 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.9 percent in 2023, then rise to 3.1 percent in 2024. The forecast for 2023 is 0.2 percentage point higher than predicted in the October 2022 World Economic Outlook (WEO) but below the historical (2000–19) average of 3.8 percent. The rise incentral bank rates to fight inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity. The rapid spread of COVID-19 in China dampened growth in 2022, but the recent reopening has paved the way for a faster-than-expected recovery. Global inflation is expected to fall from 8.8 percent in 2022 to 6.6 percent in 2023 and 4.3 percent in 2024, still above pre-pandemic (2017–19) levels of about 3.5 percent. The balance of risks remains tilted to the downside, but adverse risks have moderated since the October 2022 WEO. On the upside, a stronger boost from pent-up demand in numerous economies or a faster fall in inflation are plausible. On the downside, severe health outcomes in China could hold back the recovery, Russia’s war in Ukraine could escalate, and tighter global financing conditions could worsen debt distress. Financial markets could also suddenly reprice in response to adverse inflation news, while further geopolitical fragmentation could hamper economic progress. In most economies, amid the cost-of-living crisis, the priority remains achieving sustained disinflation. With tighter monetary conditions and lower growth potentially affecting financial and debt stability, it is necessary to deploy macroprudential tools and strengthen debt restructuring frameworks. Accelerating COVID-19 vaccinations in China would safeguard the recovery, with positive cross-border spillovers. Fiscal support should be better targeted at those most affected by elevated food and energy prices, and broad-based fiscal relief measures should be withdrawn. Stronger multilateral cooperation is essential to preserve the gains from the rules-based multilateral system and to mitigate climate change by limiting emissions and raising green investment. Checkout the full report here: Inflation Peaking amid Low Growth

by Youness El Kandoussi | 2 years ago | 0 Comment(s) | 535 Share(s) | Tags :

Should Microsoft Be Sued for Not Ensuring Business Continuity of Its Global Customers?

Context In the last few days, several businesses, including aviation and banking sectors, experienced significant disruptions due to issues with Microsoft services. This outage affected various cloud-based services, including Microsoft 365, Azure, and Teams. The interruptions were caused by a combination of network configuration changes and infrastructure issues within Microsoft's global network (https://www.reedsmith.com/en/perspectives/2024/02/business-interruption-claims-in-2024-a-global-perspective) (https://status.cloud.microsoft/#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstatus,100). The outage highlighted the increasing reliance of global industries on cloud services and the significant impact such disruptions can have on business operations, from communication breakdowns to halted transactions (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240116375142/en/Allianz-Risk-Barometer-A-Cyber-Event-Is-the-Top-Global-Business-Risk-for-2024). While Microsoft worked to resolve the issues, it underscored the importance of robust cyber risk management and contingency planning in mitigating the effects of such outages (https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/20530078/the-cyber-risks-faced-by-the-aviation-industry---ten-things-to-know). The recent Microsoft outages, which disrupted services like Microsoft 365, Teams, and Outlook, were primarily caused by a series of technical and security issues. Initially, Microsoft identified that a "wide-area networking (WAN) routing change" led to connectivity problems. This change triggered issues with network latency and timeouts, affecting how packets were forwarded across Microsoft's global network. This impacted users' ability to access various cloud services, including Azure, SharePoint, and OneDrive (https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/microsoft-365-cloud-service-outage-disrupts-users-worldwide-a-21017) (https://www.techradar.com/news/this-is-what-caused-the-recent-huge-microsoft-365-and-teams-outage). Additionally, Microsoft faced cyber risks, particularly distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks, launched by a group known as Storm-1359, aimed to disrupt services by overwhelming Microsoft's infrastructure with malicious traffic. The DDoS attacks targeted layer 7 of the OSI model, affecting HTTP(S) traffic and causing resource exhaustion and slowdowns (https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2023/06/microsoft-response-to-layer-7-distributed-denial-of-service-ddos-attacks/). To mitigate these issues, Microsoft rolled back the problematic network changes and implemented additional protections to prevent similar disruptions in the future. These measures included enhancing their Web Application Firewall (WAF) and adding stricter controls on network command executions to avoid unintended consequences from network changes (https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/microsoft-experiences-second-major-cloud-outage-in-2-weeks-a-21134) (https://www.techradar.com/news/this-is-what-caused-the-recent-huge-microsoft-365-and-teams-outage). In recent days, significant disruptions in Microsoft services have caused major headaches for businesses worldwide. Industries ranging from aviation to banking found themselves grappling with unexpected downtime, impacting critical operations and highlighting a growing reliance on cloud-based services. This article explores whether Microsoft should be held legally accountable for failing to ensure business continuity for its global customers. The Outage and Its Impacts The recent Microsoft outages affected a range of cloud services, including Microsoft 365, Azure, and Teams. These disruptions were triggered by a combination of network configuration changes and infrastructure issues within Microsoft’s global network. Specifically, a "wide-area networking (WAN) routing change" led to severe connectivity problems. This change caused network latency and timeouts, disrupting the forwarding of data packets across Microsoft's global network. As a result, users experienced significant issues accessing cloud services such as Azure, SharePoint, and OneDrive. In addition to technical glitches, Microsoft also faced cyber threats, particularly distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. A group known as Storm-1359 targeted Microsoft’s infrastructure with malicious traffic, aiming to exhaust resources and slow down services. These attacks impacted layer 7 of the OSI model, affecting HTTP(S) traffic and causing further disruptions. The Importance of Business Continuity These outages underscore the critical role that cloud services play in modern business operations. From communication breakdowns to halted transactions, the ripple effects of such disruptions can be severe. The aviation and banking sectors, in particular, experienced significant operational impacts, illustrating the high stakes involved. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services for their day-to-day operations, the importance of robust cyber risk management and contingency planning becomes more apparent. Legal and Ethical Considerations Given the scale and impact of these disruptions, the question arises: should Microsoft be sued for not ensuring business continuity? On one hand, businesses rely on service level agreements (SLAs) with cloud providers like Microsoft to guarantee a certain level of uptime and reliability. When these expectations are not met, it can lead to substantial financial losses and operational challenges. Businesses may argue that Microsoft failed to uphold its end of the agreement, warranting legal action to recover damages. On the other hand, the complexity of managing a global cloud infrastructure means that occasional outages are inevitable. Microsoft did take immediate steps to mitigate the issues, rolling back problematic network changes and enhancing protections against future disruptions. These efforts demonstrate a commitment to resolving the issues and improving service reliability. Cyber Risk Management and Contingency Planning The outages highlight the need for businesses to adopt comprehensive cyber risk management strategies and contingency plans. Relying solely on a single cloud provider can expose businesses to significant risks. Diversifying cloud services and implementing robust backup systems can help mitigate the impact of such outages. Additionally, regular testing and updating of contingency plans can ensure that businesses are better prepared to handle unexpected disruptions. Conclusion While the recent Microsoft outages have caused significant disruptions, suing the tech giant may not be the most effective solution. Instead, businesses should focus on enhancing their own cyber risk management and contingency planning efforts. By diversifying cloud services and implementing robust backup systems, businesses can better protect themselves against future outages. At the same time, cloud providers like Microsoft must continue to improve their infrastructure and security measures to minimize the risk of such disruptions and maintain customer trust. The recent events serve as a stark reminder of the interconnected nature of modern business operations and the importance of resilience in the face of unexpected challenges. References https://www.reedsmith.com/en/perspectives/2024/02/business-interruption-claims-in-2024-a-global-perspective https://status.cloud.microsoft/#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstatus,100). (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240116375142/en/Allianz-Risk-Barometer-A-Cyber-Event-Is-the-Top-Global-Business-Risk-for-2024 https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/20530078/the-cyber-risks-faced-by-the-aviation-industry---ten-things-to-know https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/microsoft-365-cloud-service-outage-disrupts-users-worldwide-a-21017 https://www.techradar.com/news/this-is-what-caused-the-recent-huge-microsoft-365-and-teams-outage https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2023/06/microsoft-response-to-layer-7-distributed-denial-of-service-ddos-attacks/

by Youness El Kandoussi | 1 year ago | 0 Comment(s) | 510 Share(s) | Tags :

PME/PMI: Maîtrisez les Risques, Boostez Votre Performance

Dans un march de plus en plus comp titif et impr visible, chaque dirigeant de PME/PMI marocaine doit se poser une question cl : Suis-je prêt à affronter les risques qui peuvent stopper net la croissance de mon entreprise ? Si la r ponse est incertaine, il est temps d'agir. La gestion des risques op rationnels n'est plus un luxe r serv aux grandes entreprises. Au contraire, c’est une n cessit absolue pour toute PME/PMI cherchant à survivre et prosp rer dans un environnement où l’erreur peut coûter cher. Et la bonne nouvelle ? Vous n'avez pas besoin d'un dispositif complexe pour y arriver. Un plan simple et efficace peut transformer votre entreprise. Pourquoi vous devez vous soucier des risques op rationnels maintenant ! Chaque jour, votre entreprise fait face à des risques qui peuvent la d stabiliser : erreurs humaines, d faillances systèmes, retards de production ou encore interruptions dans la chaîne d'approvisionnement. Chaque petit incident peut rapidement devenir un problème majeur. Et pour une PME/PMI, les cons quences peuvent être dramatiques : perte de revenus, r putation ternie, voire la fermeture. Prenons un exemple concret : une petite entreprise de fabrication qui subit r gulièrement des retards dans la livraison de ses matières premières. En quelques mois, cela peut entraîner des annulations de commandes et des clients insatisfaits. Ou encore, imaginez une interruption de votre système informatique : pendant des jours, vos quipes sont incapables de travailler correctement. Vous ne pouvez pas vous permettre de telles failles. Mettre en place un dispositif simplifi : Comment faire ? Vous pensez que la gestion des risques est compliqu e ? D trompez-vous. Il suffit de suivre quelques tapes cl s pour s curiser vos op rations : 1. Identifiez vos risques critiques Prenez un moment pour lister les points n vralgiques de votre entreprise. Qu'est-ce qui pourrait s rieusement perturber vos activit s ? - Exemple concret : Si vous d pendez d’un fournisseur unique, trouvez des alternatives pour ne pas être pris au d pourvu. 2. Évaluez les priorit s Tous les risques ne sont pas gaux. Analysez ceux qui ont le plus d’impact et concentrez-vous sur eux. - Exemple concret : Un incendie est peu probable, mais le coût d’un sinistre est norme. Investissez dans des alarmes et des formations pour y faire face. 3. Mettez en place des solutions imm diates D ployez des contrôles simples mais efficaces pour limiter l'impact des risques. - Exemple concret : Automatisez certaines tâches pour r duire les erreurs humaines dans vos processus de production ou de comptabilit . 4. Formez vos quipes Le facteur humain est votre première ligne de d fense. Assurez-vous que vos employ s sont bien pr par s à r agir face aux impr vus. - Exemple concret : Organisez des formations r gulières pour sensibiliser vos quipes à la s curit et à l'utilisation des outils num riques. 5. Ajustez et am liorez continuellement Votre environnement volue, et vos risques aussi. R valuez r gulièrement vos plans et ajustez-les en fonction des nouvelles menaces. - Exemple concret : Int grez un suivi continu de vos processus avec des audits internes r guliers pour identifier de nouvelles failles. R sultats imm diats : Pourquoi vous devez agir MAINTENANT Un dispositif simplifi de gestion des risques va litt ralement transformer votre PME/PMI. Vous verrez des r sultats concrets : - Des coûts r duits : Fini les pertes inutiles dues à des erreurs vitables ou à des incidents pr visibles. - Des processus plus fluides : Avec des risques mieux g r s, vos op rations seront plus efficaces, vos d lais respect s, vos clients satisfaits. - Une image renforc e : Vos partenaires et clients vous feront davantage confiance, sachant que vous maîtrisez vos risques. Le moment d'agir est arriv ! Ne laissez plus les risques ralentir la croissance de votre entreprise. Chaque jour qui passe sans un dispositif de gestion des risques efficace vous expose à des pertes vitables. Prenez les devants dès aujourd'hui. Identifiez vos points faibles, s curisez vos processus, et formez vos quipes. Vous n'êtes pas seul dans cette d marche : faites appel à des experts en gestion des risques qui sauront vous guider à chaque tape. Passez à l'action MAINTENANT et transformez les risques en opportunit s ! Il en va de la p rennit et de la r ussite de votre entreprise.

by Youness El Kandoussi | 9 months ago | 0 Comment(s) | 366 Share(s) | Tags :