Category: Feature

Manish Chasta, Co-Founder and CTO, Eventus TechSol Cyber-crimes are plaguing industries of all verticals and sizes, and there is no end to it for now. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are particularly at risk since they have minimal resources to combat threats. Ubiquitously, across industries, there has been a clear call for cyber resilience gaining momentum. Cyber resilience is the backbone that supports an organization’s overall cyber security strategy. Businesses today are compelled to operate in a threat landscape that is constantly changing, and traditional security protocols are unable to keep up. To ensure their continuity, they must reorient their attention toward a more practical strategy and turn to cyber resilience techniques. Understanding Cyber Resilience Cyber resilience relates to how an organization responds to data breaches and cyberattacks while successfully carrying on with its regular business activities. By employing cyber resilience strategies, IT security teams can cut expenses while swiftly identifying and containing possible problems before they propagate. While proactive security is a part of cyber resilience, it also takes into account measures created to reduce data risks after they had already affected the system. This covers strategies for guaranteeing business continuity and built in redundancy. Cyber resilience acknowledges that there is no way to shield systems and data from attackers. Even with thorough defensive measures in place, data loss and downtime – whether caused by criminal activity, user error, hardware failure, or a natural disaster – can happen at any point. The percentage of assaults repelled and breaches avoided can be used to gauge the effectiveness of cybersecurity, while recovery time (RTO), recovery point (RPO), and total system uptime can be used to measure the success of cyber resilience. Making a Systematic Approach to Cyber Resilience Now that we have established the definition, let’s examine a few crucial best practices for enhancing cyber resilience using a multi-layered strategy. Bolster Organizational Loopholes Malware enters networks primarily through phishing scams. Employees are tricked into downloading malicious attachments, using fraudulent emails, text messages, pop-ups, and web links. Training the workforce to be vigilant and to be mindful of any information they receive while acting upon it is highly critical. Employees must be trained on phishing simulations, IT and security best practices, data protection, and compliance needs. Vigorous implementation of such training programs will help lower the risk and frequency of attacks and incorporate a cyber resilience plan at the most exposed access points. Sophisticated Threats Necessitate Sophisticated Security Cybercriminals are highly ingenious and meticulous. They modify their strategies to get past network firewalls and other safeguards as organizations become more adept at spotting possible dangers. Businesses now need to implement internet security with threat intelligence to recognize harmful assaults that might otherwise look innocent. Advanced commercial antivirus software employs cutting-edge technology to find, stop, and remediate (by containing the threat) malicious threats that elude other, less capable antivirus software. Employ 3-2-1 Backup Procedure for All Organizational Data Having backups of data is crucial for business continuity as addressing data loss is highly complicated. Impacts of malwares, like ransomware, can be reduced through the adoption of 3-2-1 backup strategy. In a 3-2-1 method, organizational data is duplicated at least three times overall, twice locally on separate media, and once off-site. This helps in reducing the data exposure in the event of an unforeseen event. Having both a local and an off-site backup provides businesses additional alternatives for backup recovery. Make Sure to Conduct a Backup and Security Drill Periodically It’s crucial to evaluate disaster recovery methods and procedures to be confident about meeting the recovery goals for the business through improved cyber resilience. And any recovery strategy is good only if it is tested out regularly. To make sure the company can be cyber-resilient when necessary, regular testing criteria once per quarter or, at the very least, once a year should be conducted. This will help evaluate both large-scale system recovery as well as simple file and folder recovery. Hiring a MSSP Businesses who are considering outsourcing their IT operations can hire managed security service providers. Managed service companies proactively keep an eye on a corporate servers, reduce IT concerns, and resolve any problems that may arise. The majority of IT work is now outsourced thanks to advances in cloud computing. Without being present on site, the MSSP remotely accesses networks and provides solutions for any computing challenges. When employed, most of the MSSP’s offer all-inclusive solutions with vast IT resources. Daily network monitoring, Red Teaming, Incident Response, Cloud Security Posture Management, Infrastructure Security, Penetration Testing, Breach & Attack Simulation are all included in this. Businesses from a wide range of industries and regions are investing in managed IT services and support partnerships to outsource their IT infrastructure requirements, enabling their internal teams to concentrate on the expansion of their core businesses. Businesses should be aware that no one cybersecurity solution can stop the sophisticated and constantly changing cyber-attacks of today. Despite intensifying security, cybercriminals can still access a company’s network and IT systems by taking advantage of human error or flaws. To develop cyber resilience throughout the organization, it is crucial to adopt cyber resilience in this situation.  

At Hikvision, we recognize that the human visual sense has its limitations when faced with some challenging conditions, and technological innovations to expand visibility can provide major benefits across a wide range of situations and scenarios, in industries from security to healthcare, and from transport to farming. For example, it can help motorists to drive more safely, based on better visibility of the road ahead; it can help staff in care facilities to act faster if an elderly patient falls over; and it can help workers on large or remote sites to check security from their home, allowing them to spend more time with their loved ones and less time traveling to and from worksites. There are numerous examples that showcase Hikvision’s commitment to developing technologies that help people expand their visibility, so contributing to a better life. Here are just a few. Early-warning traffic safety alerts you to danger before you reach it Traditionally, drivers could only react to what happened right in front of them, within their field of vision. Where there are curves in the road, or blind spots caused by intersections, the risk of accidents vastly increases. To overcome this challenge, and to reduce accident risks, Hikvision developed its early-warning traffic solution. This combines smart video and radar technology to ‘see’ objects in the road long before they are visible to drivers, even in very low-visibility weather conditions. If there are dangers around a curve or farther down the road, drivers are notified in real time via roadside digital signage, giving them plenty of time to brake. This minimizes the danger and ensures they arrive safely at their destination. Fall detection technology secures those in need with responsive care Babies and toddlers fall over frequently when learning to walk but, unfortunately, this kind of accident can also occur in old age, with potentially much more dangerous consequences. If an older person falls, it is imperative that care-givers arrive quickly to help them, and to reduce the risk of future health complications. To enable the fastest possible response, Hikvision has created its fall detection solution, which uses AI-enabled radar technologies to ‘see’ falls when they happen. If someone does fall over, the solution detects the event and triggers an alarm in real time, allowing family members or other care providers to arrive on the scene faster. This ensures that elderly patients get the help and treatment they need immediately after a fall, safeguarding their health outlook. Solar-powered cameras provide peace of mind with more flexibility Smart video cameras can help small and medium size business owners and managers check their premises quickly and easily from any location, 24 hours a day. But in some types of businesses – like farms and other rural operations – the energy and communications networks needed to deploy cameras and other connected security solutions are simply not available. To help people take charge in these types of businesses to work more effectively and improve their work-life balance, Hikvision has created its solar-powered camera kits. Because these use the sun’s energy, they can be installed virtually anywhere – even in fields and other areas where no mains power exists. The ability to connect to 4G cellular networks means that these cameras can also let workers see live video feeds in real time – giving business owners and managers total peace of mind that all areas of their farm or business are secure. By reducing or eliminating the need to patrol expansive rural sites, the solution allows people to focus on more value-adding tasks, and – critically – to spend more time with their loved ones.  

The pace of change in retail has always been intense. From the introduction of self-checkouts to contactless payments, the deployment of fully unattended environments and blended in-store and online shopping experiences, innovation has been the only constant. These changes have had a huge impact on physical, bricks-and-mortar stores. Where customers previously entered, browsed, purchased goods, and only left after interaction with a sales person – the buying journey has become far more varied and complex. In many cases, customers can now purchase goods in-store, collect online purchases from the checkout or kiosks, and order goods online on their phones – all in the same physical store. All this means that retailers need to adapt quickly, and in the right ways, to ensure customers’ needs are met – whatever they expect from their in-store experience. The good news is that the latest smart video solutions can help in three key ways. Smart video enhances customer experiences With the latest generation of smart video solutions, retailers can achieve a level of ‘situational awareness’ in-store that would not otherwise be possible, supporting better, faster customer service. With the right AI capabilities built into a solution, for example, alerts can be generated automatically if the number of customers in the store or at any given part of the store exceeds a defined threshold. This allows staff to focus routine tasks such as deliveries, inventory, and merchandising, and turn their attention to helping customers on the shop floor only when required. Stores can also detect the buildup of queues at checkouts or kiosks and divert staff to those areas to reduce waiting times. The industry’s leading smart video solutions can also improve the overall shopping environment in countless other ways, from alerting staff when a product is sold out on a particular shelf, to detecting liquid spills or other obstacles that impact customers. Additionally, analysis of video data can help stores refine layouts and determine where kiosks and other in-store equipment should be positioned to minimize congestion and speed up customer journeys. While various other forms of data analytics can also provide data on the number of customers in store and their typical footfall, only video allows managers to see what a physical customer journey around the store looks like. This provides unique and unparalleled insights into how their experience can be improved, making video a true asset for customer service. Smart video increases business performance With smart video, stores can get real insights into how processes and product placement can be improved – leading to measurable performance gains and revenue growth. For example, the leading smart video solutions can identify merchandising ‘hot zones,’ and to adjust product placement to maximize sales. Business performance can also be increased as smart video cameras combine with other retail data points to improve in-store stock accuracy throughout the supply chain. This ensures that the right products are always available in store to maximize sales revenues and to avoid losses due to customers not finding what they need in stock. Equally importantly, stores can use AI-enabled smart video solutions to minimize risks, such as shoplifting, that negatively impact their business performance. It becomes possible, for example, to send alerts automatically to security teams in the event of a security incident, helping to deliver major savings that contribute to the bottom line. Smart video boosts efficiency In competitive markets, and in the face of intense online competition, retailers need to minimize their operating overheads and maximize efficiency. Here, the latest smart video solutions can help – providing insights that support more automated and efficient operations. Smart video, for example, is invaluable for brands looking to implement semi-attended or unattended retail stores. Video data provides the checks and balances needed to ensure that customers in these kinds of retail environments can find and purchase the products they are looking for, and that security at the checkout and in other areas of the store is taken care of. Another way smart video is improving efficiency is by cross-referencing transaction data with video data to reduce manual work and admin. One example of this is the ability to review video footage of orders being packed for customers at distribution centers. This speeds up dispute resolution and reduces costs associated with compensating customer complaints. Likewise, any errors relating to in-store payments can be reviewed using video data that is linked with transaction numbers in checkout systems, reducing the need for in-depth, manual accounting investigations. Finally, but equally importantly, automated alerts for sold-out stock, liquid spills, and other events saves a huge amount of time for staff, supporting cost reductions and ensuring that customer service is prioritized.  

Rajendra Chitale, CFO, Crayon Software Experts India Budgeting and estimating cloud expenses is complex. The cloud has already become crucial for conducting business. Businesses may now move and expand more quickly than ever owing to it. However, increasing cloud adoption inevitably results in increased cloud spending. For finance teams, this poses the following critical issue – calculating and planning for various activities’ cloud spending. Making a budget is a crucial component of planning, as is determining how much capital needs to be invested and where it will be allocated. The process of developing a practical cloud budget is highly complex. The Good Old Days Prior to the advent of the cloud, costs solely comprised the acquisition and servicing of servers and networking hardware, as well as continuous expenses for things like power, cooling, and facility security. Even while creating solid budgets was not simple, there was not much mystery involved. Budgeting on-site is a reasonably simple process. You decide how much the IT staff can spend on hardware and software, and you create a purchase order to cover that expense. In comparison to on premise budgeting, proper governance in the cloud is significantly more complicated and requires a very different approach. Implementing the appropriate governance is crucial to balancing IT expenses and performance while allowing the technology team to move quickly. Understanding Cloud Budgeting A cloud budget is a financial strategy that projects how much an organization will spend on cloud computing services over a specific time frame. Forecasting and allocating funds for various cloud computing components are considered to be part of cloud budgeting. A cloud budget differs from an IT budget. All expenditures made by the IT department of the organization, including cloud services, are included in the IT budget. A Cloud Budget allots amount for the cloud component of software engineering, which is why it is important to avoid confusing them. Instituting A Cloud Budget One Can Adhere To Every business strives to accomplish more with less; it’s just good business sense. However, while there are practiced, well-recognized techniques for budgeting and predicting conventional OpEx expenses, there is misunderstanding when it comes to cloud financial management. Budgeting for and forecasting the cost of the cloud doesn’t have to be complex. Below are few tips to take into consideration: Understand Cloud Billing: Based on an operating expense model (OpEx), cloud expenses vary according on usage. Additionally, rather than paying a set amount, organizations pay according to how much they consume each period. Therefore, organizations must have access to information about how particular workloads use cloud resource units. Businesses can create their own cost visibility solution if they have the expenditure, talent in cloud development, and time. Close coordination with the business/ sales team is very critical as this will help in estimating the business activities and thereby the cloud consumption. Plan and Evaluate: Adopting the cloud is not an assurance of financial savings. It is crucial to do a thorough cost-benefit analysis, after careful preparation. Businesses must view cloud computing as a tool with the potential to save a significant amount of money. Map out your present resources first, and then create your best-guess projection of what each operation will need over the course of an entire year. Next, advance your strategy by determining how long you will require a particular resource. Finally, buy resources using this information. Businesses can reduce their overall resource expenditure by at least one-third by committing to a resource and spending level. A commitment can be possible (to get discounts) only if the process for estimation of cloud consumption is robust, else it could lead to over commitments. Implementing Governance: Any choice relating to a cloud deployment will in some manner have an impact on costs. Every event must be noted by a competent authority in order to prevent your project from escalating out of control. To monitor and enforce the budget, there must be a governance component, which should include administrative oversight through both automatic and manual audits. Further, any change in workloads and resources should be analyzed from an impact on consumption perspective. Analyze Invoices on a Regular Basis: It’s crucial to regularly analyze organizational invoices to find any areas, where businesses might be paying for services they don’t need or perhaps even ones they didn’t know were being used and billed. But it’s also a full-time job that necessitates a thorough understanding of cloud pricing models and, more critically, the ability to look in the right places. Cost allocation and forecasting can be done more accurately by delving deeply into organizational spending. Budgeting might be done, for instance, by looking at which departments use which services at what rates rather than just the total cost. Additionally, a management service can assist companies in automating this process so that resources are allocated based on actual use rather than under or over budgeting. Final Thoughts It takes time to develop complete and trustworthy budgets for cloud implementations. Businesses must make sure that all the technical issues are handled correctly in a way that advances rather than undermines the objectives of their organization. That approach calls for patience, careful consideration, and advice from every expert you can find. Businesses must establish the appropriate policies and procedures to enable them to adhere to their cloud budget in the long run once it has been created.  

Harsh Wardhan, Chief Executive Officer, CSC India From airports to aircraft, Covid-19 exhibited a situation that no one had ever imagined before. The aviation sector has blatantly shown that it is ready for a recovery. Airports all around the world have been quick to install more robust safety measures to guarantee that the faith of the patron is not jeopardized. Airports have been subjected to a fast-changing environment, which includes governing the rules, passenger processing, sanitization inside airport facilities, and the introduction of new biometric technology. New norms were formed for the aviation industry to tackle this deadly virus with the ultimate objective, to prevent its spread and saving lives. On April 17, 2022, the Indian aviation sector attained the milestone of 4,000,00 daily domestic flight passengers for the first time since the Covid-19 epidemic began. The airlines carried 4,07,975 people on 2,838 flights, or around 95.5% of daily domestic air passenger volume prior to Covid-19. (Source: Businesstoday.in) Without airport security, the airport would be exposed to unforeseen terrorist and criminal attacks. The airport’s security procedures deter criminals from undertaking such acts. India’s airport security is managed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Airports are increasingly using cutting-edge equipment and technologies to combat possible risks to travelers and make air travel safer because of technological advancements. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been looking after the airport’s security for more than 2 decades and has been very proactive and vigilant in identifying threats. Jewar airport is now coming very soon, as it is a subsidiary of Zurich international airport, the development is a part of the government’s goal to enlarge current airports and construct new ones to support regional air traffic growth and maintain air traffic growth in crowded metro areas. A second airport in the National Capital Region is necessary to manage anticipated increases in traffic because the existing Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is about to reach capacity. It is said that Jewar airport will be incorporated with Digiyatra technology to enhance security. However, the same is optional if a passenger is not comfortable with it, they will then have to manually do all the procedures. A few episodes in the aviation industry that might pose a potential threat to the industry are as follows: Access to the airport terminal area for guests and staff. Insufficient luggage and passenger screening. Inadequate airport or aircraft upkeep. Overcrowding around the nearby gates during boarding. Carrying weapons discreetly. Not co-operating with the security or airline staff. Use a sharp object as a weapon. Making a call to the airline/ staff/ airport of a bomb threat. These issues require a sensitive approach to tackle, or they can turn into a very serious event because they are critical to security, and airports play a big part in the national economy. Airport infrastructure is an essential part of the entire transportation system, and it has a direct impact on a nation’s ability to compete internationally and attract foreign investment as safeguarding the airport is always a priority. The safety and security of infrastructure can be upgraded, if the following things are taken care of: Reviewing & understanding the existing security procedure and emergency plan. This must be carried out each year for the upgradation of technology and laws. Auditing the entire premises every four months to ensure compliance. Airport is the most sensitive place to work, the staff responsible to look after the safety and security of the airport, must be highly skilled and trained to handle all kinds of situations if needed. Security agency: A trusted, competent, and diligent security agency that has handled sensitive events in the past and is capable to handle airport security as well. Zoning: Zoning the airport and assigning heads associated with each zone. The zone head will be responsible to provide daily track records and compliance reports. An extremely powerful scanner that passengers go through may detect potential hidden dangers without requiring them to remain still. Introducing security checkpoints: This is a recent addition to security, as not all the airports in India follow this precaution. Introducing the same one hundred percent in all airports would filter suspicious-looking individuals to enter the airport. Manning: The restrooms are often unmanned, especially at the arrival area, one potential threat of this is the unavailability of the staff in case of a medical emergency. Fencing: The latest technology in airport fencing is fiber net fencing. Fiber net, the mesh, vertical posts, wind-bracings, and outrigger arms of airport perimeter fences are made of continuous glass fibers infused with a thermosetting resin matrix. Smaller accessories, fittings, and fastening components are made of stainless steel or galvanized steel. This technology has got various benefits as it is cost-friendly and most importantly doesn’t interfere with various aircraft radar systems. Traveler friendly: Maintaining airport safety and security is a priority for the authorities however, Travelers arriving from different countries often find themselves lost due to language barriers or cultural differences. Airport authorities can resolve this by providing concierge assistance at a regular distance. This would certainly aid in smoother and crowd-free airport operations. In terms of airport security, customer satisfaction, and infrastructure globally, the following airports topped the Skytrax list for the year 2022. The annual Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022 recognize Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport as the best regional airport in South Asia and India. Four Indian airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru secured 37th, 65th, 63rd, and 61st ranks respectively in the list of top 100 airports in the world 2022 by Skytrax. All these airports have climbed up the ladder if compared to the list of 2021. It is delightful to see that the Indian aviation sector is improving the quality-of-service year after year and is displaying a progressive country image to the world. Airports are under pressure to contribute to the fight against the evolving threats to aviation. A good security operation depends on performance management, both in terms of security criteria and delivery. This article does…

By Colonel B S Nagial (Retd) The concepts of soft and vulnerable targets, hard targets, and crowded public places have recently come into daily use in the counter-terrorism platform. These concepts are not included in any international legal framework. Soft and vulnerable targets such as sports complexes, shopping sites, schools and education institutions, and transportation systems, are easily reachable to large numbers of people and have limited security or protective measures in place, making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. By attacking these targets, they (terrorists) can cause maximum destruction to life and property without much going into the detailed planning, training and mobilisation of resources. Terrorists want the maximum media attention should be drawn to such incidents. To a greater extent, the concept of ‘soft-targets’ overlaps with that of crowded public places, wherein the high density of the population gathers temporarily or permanently. This high density of the people in a place acts as a specific factor of vulnerability or attractiveness of inimical elements in society. Soft-target is usually differentiated from the critical infrastructure, which may be soft or hard target, secured or unsecured. But the disruption of critical infrastructure can potentially cause extensive negative impacts on the security and social-economic wellbeing of the society/ community. Critical infrastructure must be protected by the country’s security and law enforcement agencies. Therefore it is indispensable to distinguish between critical and non-critical infrastructure based on the severity, duration, geographical scope and economic consequences of disruptive events. The needs of site operators predict the protection of critical infrastructure and soft targets, and public authorities must follow the risk and crisis management approaches. The interplay between critical infrastructure and soft targets is a multidimensional area which needs policy, institutional and operational coordination. Threats envisaged The presence of persistent terrorist threats against places where a large number of people gather is generally highlighted by the country’s security and law enforcement agencies. So that the public is made conscious of such vulnerabilities, terrorists may shift their attention to soft targets if the security of hard targets is heightened to make them more secure and protected. For example, as the civil aviation sector responded to the threat of terrorists by adopting pre-board security measures, the terrorists shifted their attention to surrounding places. Similarly, there has been an increase in knife and heavy vehicle attacks, breaking away from the use of armed individuals or teams of gunmen accepting lesser casualties. The possibility of terrorists seeking to employ lethal weapons to cause significant destruction on soft targets can’t be ruled out. The best examples of using lethal weapons are the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in the Air India Flight attack in 1985, 1995, 9/11, Mumbai 26/11 attack, etc. Another reason for terrorist attacks against soft targets is to take hostage of people to press their demands. The nature and level of threats against soft targets are influenced by local factors and the intent of terrorists to inflict damage to life and property. The choice of terrorists depends upon personal grievances, the site’s perceived threats, the crowd’s presence, security measures in place and the target’s proximity to their operational area. An analysis of past terrorist attacks worldwide has indicated the following significant forms of terrorist attacks. All these need to be considered and addressed if we want to design an efficient security system for the protection of soft targets against terrorist attacks in future: Exploding a bomb. Suicide bombing attacks. Bomb delivered by mail. Bomb in a parked unattended vehicle. Car bomb driven by a suicide attacker running into the target. Arson. Gun attack. Hostage and barricade situation. Attack with a knife. Crowd attacking a soft target. Vehicle running into the target. Soft targets face threats of numerous types by individuals or groups driven by various motives. To create an efficient and secure environment, it is imperative to deal with the threats thoroughly and consider the available security measures to blunt the attackers’ modus operandi. Protection of soft targets Soft targets comprise a vast and diverse group of subjects. The fundamental principle for protecting soft and vulnerable targets against terrorist attacks lies in the coordinated security planning by all the stakeholders at the national and local levels. United Nations for Disaster and Risk Reduction (UNDRR) describe ‘risk management’ as a systematic approach to managing uncertainty and minimising loss. While forming a security system for a particular soft target, the first step is to make clear what is to be protected. Consequently, we initiate the process by defining the entities we value and do not wish to lose or get them harmed. Secondly, it is necessary to define the likely sources of threats to soft and vulnerable targets. To do so, we need to analyse earlier such incidents. Thirdly, then it is imperative to forecast the possible forms of the attacks. Without sound analysis of potential dangers, the security system will not be effective and may lead to wasting prime resources at disposal. All incidents in question need to be handled in three stages – Before, During and After the incident. Before Incident Take preemptive measures to diminish the likelihood of an attack, enhance the rapidity and intensity of the response, reduce the seriousness of impact and facilitate recovery. Use tools to deter attackers and create ways and means to divert the attack if it can’t be avoided. Use communication to de-escalate and calm down a threatening situation and minimise conflict. During incident Early detection of objectionable activity or transgression of restricted zones, ideally before the attack has begun. The quick response of the ‘Security Personnel’ or other members of the security system, preferably following a Standard Operating Procedure(SOP).’ After incident The management deals with the situation as described in the pre-defined coordinated plan as per the SOP, with clearly defined priorities for each post-incident phase. Fast recovery from the occurrence. Particular attention should be paid to a method known as DDRMI (Deter-Detect-React-Mitigate Impact). This is a unique tool to assess the efficiency of security measures adopted. Prevention…

National security is the bedrock of a sovereign state’s stability and development. For India, a country with a vast population and a rich tapestry of diversity, achieving a robust national security culture is not only paramount, but a strategic necessity and an existential imperative. A nation characterized by its vast diversity in culture, religion, caste, creed, and community, stands as a testament to unity in diversity. However, this very diversity makes India highly vulnerable to internal and external threats, particularly from deep state actors seeking to exploit these differences. Building a robust national security culture is crucial for safeguarding India’s ethnic integrity and sovereignty. This is the sole reason why fostering such a culture is essential to eliminate and marginalize such elements who create fissures within the social framework. “A nation’s security is fortified by its internal cohesion and the ability to embrace diversity as a strategic advantage” –– Chanakya