Due to COVID-19 pandemic, work-from-home using internet has become a growing way of connecting with associates and clients. This year, internet use has nearly doubled, due to work-from-home and lockdowns. But internet is a risky environment, especially when connecting your mobile devices to a public network. You are at an airport and connect to its public Wi-Fi network. But you are unaware that there is a hacker lurking around the corner, monitoring the internet traffic and ready to hack into your personal account. It is estimated that there are over 450 million public Wi-Fi hotspots globally, offering a rich hunting ground for cyber criminals.  

Cyber specialists tell us that currently there are more than 375 malicious threats PER MINUTE and growing. Mobile malware threats grew by a whopping 70% in Q1-2020 over Q3-2019! Cyber criminals have generated 113,000+ malicious URL’s related to COVID-19, targeting healthcare, education and banking in particular. Cybercriminals steal personal and company information by hacking into our susceptible computers and mobile devices. Cyber-attacks are especially devastating for small businesses - industry data shows that a staggering 60% of small companies, which have been hacked by cyber criminals, go out of business within 6 months after the attack.

While business operations, from conceiving an idea to its final delivery to the user, are going digital at breakneck speed, the entire operational areas remain vulnerable to cyber malfunctioning in one form or other. This impact the operations very hard short-term as well as long-term. Cyber security threats can be due to inherent flaws within the system. But the possibility of deliberate cyber-attacks and hacking from one source or the other is abundant. As competition and market battles hot up, this remains a real danger.

The risk covers a large area. One of the biggest threats is the compromising of vital data. This includes important technical details, hard-earned market information, customer information etc. Loss of data can bring the operation to a halt at great financial impact. As hinted, the problem can be due to malfunctioning of the software or external interference to steal the data.

Either way, the cost of recovery is immense, not to talk about the time lost in the process. Hidden or not, these expenses will have a big role in fixing the final profit and loss accounts.

Adding to this is the loss of credibility of the business. The output will be negatively impacted and the company will have to do great degree of explanations to the customer. It is an equal task to recover lost data and to recover lost credibility. Consumers have other options and look elsewhere. But the company cannot afford that luxury.

While the margin for deliberate external intrusion possibilities remains large, many of these security breaches are caused by human error. One needs to realise that however deep an entity goes digital, there is always that unavoidable human touch that makes it run. AND, to err is human!

This underlines the need for proper intense training. There are studies that say employee ignorance is one of the leading contributors. Workers may know the essential basics of an application, but that does not make him or her a cyber security expert. While the IT departments execute a new cloud computing initiative or new application software, they have to ensure that those handle it on a daily basis are equipped to manage a crisis.

Types of cyber threats

Cyber threats are ever-evolving and cybercriminals use different types of malware to get what they want. Malware is an abbreviated form of “malicious software.” This is software that is specifically designed to gain access to or damage a digital device, usually without the knowledge of the owner.

Crypto jacking: Malware that gives cybercriminals access to “mine” cryptocurrency on your computer, at the expense of your resources.

Form jacking: Malware in which cybercriminals inject malicious code into online forms to steal payment card details on legitimate websites.

Ransomware: It is a malicious software that uses encryption to hold data for ransom, the purpose of which is to extort money from the victims with promises of restoring encrypted data. Like other computer viruses, it usually finds its way onto a device by exploiting a security hole in vulnerable software or by tricking somebody into installing it.

Phishing: These are fake emails that can look surprisingly legitimate. If you get tricked into clicking a link or providing information, thieves can get your passwords and account numbers.

Zoom Bombing: Intruders hack into online meetings.

Remote Access Trojans (RAT): Malware that gives a cybercriminal a “back door” to remotely access a compromised computer.

Spyware: It is unwanted software that infiltrates your device, stealing your Internet usage data and sensitive information. Spyware gathers your personal information and relays it to advertisers, data firms, or external users.

Dark web: It is an underground online community where criminals can go to buy and sell your personal information.

Defense

All digital devices need to be protected using a highly-rated, proven anti-virus program. These programs provide a shield for your operating system in the form of a real-time scanner. When your antivirus program detects an infected file or program, it can delete it on the spot or move it to a special "quarantine" folder. When your antivirus quarantines a file, it prevents it from interacting with the rest of the computer.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a private network within a broader network, adding security by using encryption and tunneling mechanisms. There are some free VPN products available, but these may trade your information to help offset their costs, or impose other limitations, such as how much VPN data available per month. A paid subscription service may enable you to deploy a powerful, yet easy-to-use VPN that protects your Wi-Fi connections, bandwidth and privacy with guarantees against any losses. These VPN’s work with all digital devices - PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.

It goes without saying that users of all digital devices that use Wi-Fi connectivity must become more mindful of cybersecurity needs, and companies must invest in security programs and ongoing employee training.

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Tegeta Green Planet has launched an educational initiative targeting young people to foster environmental responsibility and awareness. The effort responds to the growing global challenges of sustainable development and environmental protection. By focusing on youth education, the organisation aims to build a foundation for long-term ecological consciousness and active public participation in preserving natural resources.

Operating since 2022, Tegeta Green Planet is among the first entities in Georgia authorised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture under the Extended Producer Responsibility framework. This system is central to modern environmental policy, ensuring full-cycle management of specific waste streams such as used tyres, oils and batteries. The process covers collection, transportation, recycling and further handling aligned with circular economy principles.

As part of this drive, company representatives visited multiple schools in Batumi, a Black Sea coastal city and major tourist hub. Given Batumi’s rapid urbanisation and growing tourism, the need for proper waste management and ecological awareness is especially acute. The interactive sessions included presentations and workshops, teaching students how to handle used tyres, batteries and oils correctly; why such management is vital and how waste can become a resource through circular economy models. Students also learned how individual responsible behaviour affects the environment and the future.

The programme employs a practical format with educational games and activities after presentations, encouraging participants to ask questions and discuss eco-friendly daily choices. Attendees receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation. Through this project, Tegeta Green Planet continues its educational work across Georgia, aiming to inform and involve the younger generation in building a cleaner environment. The organisation maintains that environmental care extends beyond waste management to include education and a culture of responsibility for a sustainable future.

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TyreSafe and Good Egg Safety CIC have formed a major national partnership to tackle child seat misuse and vehicle safety together. The collaboration unites the UK’s leading child seat safety organisation with the country’s road safety charity, creating a pioneering programme designed to address both risks at scale. Following a planned pilot with Bradford City Council’s Road Safety Team, the initiative will roll out joint child seat and tyre safety check clinics across the UK using a data-led approach that reflects real-world road risks.

Good Egg Safety’s evidence, drawn from over 45,000 child seat checks, shows that more than 60 percent of child restraints are incorrectly fitted or incompatible, with many involving serious errors that could lead to life-changing or fatal injuries. Simultaneously, unroadworthy or illegal tyres remain a critical but often overlooked factor in many collisions. The partnership directly confronts both hazards by protecting children inside the vehicle while ensuring the vehicle itself is safe for emergency manoeuvres.

Good Egg Safety is known for its government-funded Advanced Child Seat Training Programme, which has accredited hundreds of professionals from police, fire and rescue, public health and local authorities. Unlike awareness-only campaigns, its evidence-based and behaviour-led approach has produced average knowledge increases of over 500 percent among professionals and up to 96 percent retention at six months. The new partnership extends this impact into real-world intervention and prevention.

Joint clinics will offer expert child seat checks, identification of high-risk installations, tyre safety inspections including tread depth and pressure and practical pre-journey advice. This whole-vehicle safety model aligns with the UK’s Safe System approach. The partnership will be showcased at the TyreSafe National Briefing in June 2026 and the Road Safety GB National Conference in November 2026, where early findings and national rollout plans will be presented. By combining training, community engagement and hands-on checks, the programme provides one of the most scalable and effective interventions available to protect children on UK roads.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of Tyresafe, said, “This partnership with Good Egg Safety CIC represents a significant step forward in our shared ambition to reduce avoidable road casualties. By combining expertise in child seat safety with tyre safety checks, we are addressing two critical but often disconnected risk factors in a practical, evidence-led way. The planned pilot in Bradford, followed by national rollout, will allow us to better understand real-world vehicle safety issues and intervene directly with families at the point of need. Working together in this way strengthens the Safe System approach and has the potential to make a measurable difference in saving lives and reducing incidents on UK roads.”

Janis James MBE, CEO, Good Egg Safety CIC, said, “For too long, road safety messaging has treated risks in isolation. In reality, a correctly fitted child seat cannot compensate for a vehicle that cannot stop safely – and safe tyres cannot protect a child who is incorrectly restrained. This partnership is about bringing those two critical elements together in a way that is practical, evidence-led and capable of saving lives at scale.”

Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board, said, “The fact that two thirds of children are at risk travelling in unsafe seats is deeply troubling. Being a nana myself, I made sure to make use of the Good Egg Safety service and I am very glad that I did. We have worked with them for a number of years to run child car seat checking events. I am pleased to say that another 50 sessions will be taking place over the coming months in West Yorkshire as part of our work to reduce road deaths and serious injury to zero by 2040.”

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is set to publicly unveil new survey findings on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026, located in Hall 7.1 at booth C031 B038. The data reveals a European retreading industry in distress, with three-quarters of international survey respondents characterising the current situation as either critical or declining. Cheap new tyre imports are cited as the primary driver of mounting price pressure.

Conducted in spring 2026 among European tyre and retreading firms and experts, the survey aimed to assess real-world market conditions, success factors and political hurdles. Results show a deeply contradictory landscape: while retreading is acknowledged as a key circular economy technology for climate and resource protection, cheap imports, high energy costs and weak policy support are squeezing businesses. Nearly half of participants describe the industry as under severe pressure, with German players notably pessimistic, though a few see a growing market.

Respondents still see major potential through lower total cost of ownership, high casing quality and closer cooperation among fleets, retailers and retreaders. Cost-per-kilometre models, professional tyre management and transparent environmental, social and governance documentation are highlighted as crucial future strategies to prove economic and environmental benefits.

A strong political appeal emerged, with 88 percent of participants urging green procurement and more public funding. They call for binding sustainability criteria in public tenders, improved regulations and equal treatment of retreaded tyres in European ESG and taxonomy systems. France and Scandinavia are cited as models due to their eco-taxes and national circular economy collaborations. The full results will be discussed at AZuR’s event ‘The Future is retreaded!’ on 10 June at THE TIRE COLOGNE.

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Superteam Wheels, a prominent Chinese manufacturer of carbon fibre bicycle wheelsets, has introduced a new flagship carbon fibre wheelset, the Ultra SL SE, designed to resolve the performance trade-offs faced by road cyclists. Riders have long been forced to choose between lightweight designs lacking stiffness or rigid wheelsets too heavy for long distances. The new model integrates mature Chinese manufacturing with DT180 hubs, carbon spokes and aerodynamic optimisation for professional racing, training and casual riding.

Unlike single-function wheelsets, the Ultra SL SE is engineered for full-scenario adaptability. Weighing only 1,210 grammes, the wheelset achieves a lightweight breakthrough without compromising rigidity. The DT180 hubs enable direct power transmission for sprinting, climbing or cruising. The wheelset adapts seamlessly to flat roads, rolling terrain and climbs.

Compared to the classic H2 model, the Ultra SL SE brings three major upgrades: lighter weight, DT180 hubs and a redesigned circular rim. It retains H2’s stiffness and shark fin bionic aerodynamics. At 40 kmph, wind resistance drops by 17.62 percent.

The 51-millimetre front rim and 48-millimetre rear rim create a three-millimetre difference. The higher front rim enhances stability and resists crosswinds, while the lower rear rim reduces drag. This design balances controllability and aerodynamics.

Superteam selected DT180 hubs for their precision and low rolling resistance, combined with carbon spokes. The Ultra SL SE delivers professional race-level performance at a friendly cost, offering lightweight portability, rigid power transmission and all-scenario adaptability.

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