Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1440051
JANUARY 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 9 Security, publishes counterfeit information at their website. 4 It seems that anticipating an unpredictable supply chain has become way of life for us all. I-Connect007 has reported on supply chain issues regularly over the past two years. Most recently, we devoted the March 2021 issue of SMT007 Magazine to supply chain concerns. Coincidentally, the Suez Canal was blocked by a container ship mishap at about the same time we went to print with the magazine; that certainly helped drive home our point with that issue. Unsurprisingly, the supply chain concerns for electronics manufacturing continue. And it seems to be on everyone's mind. Recently, we surveyed PCB fabricators, asking them to share their greatest challenges in their business. We structured the survey so that respondents could give their answer in their own words. No ticking of boxes, as that oen inserts the survey writer's bias into the survey. Once we had the replies, we categorized what we received, and this pie chart is what emerged (Figure 1). Cybersecurity, while perhaps not as "in your face" as supply chain issues at this moment, is equally concerning. With the rise in ransom- seems too good to be true, it probably is. Coun- terfeit goods are oen of poor quality and can even be unsafe for you and your family." 1 Another news piece taught shoppers how to spot a fake, reporting, "With fears over a shortage of goods this holiday season, offi- cials from Department of Homeland Securi- ty investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are concerned shoppers will turn to non-reputable online sites or fall victim to counterfeit sellers." 2 Retailers are forming coalitions to address the online sale of stolen and counterfeit goods and calling on Congress for assistance. "While we constantly invest in people, policies, and innovative technology to deter the, criminals are capitalizing on the anonymity of the inter- net and the failure of certain marketplaces to verify their sellers," writes Mychael Schnell. "is trend has made retail businesses a target for increasing the, hurt legitimate businesses who are forced to compete against unscrupu- lous sellers, and has greatly increased consum- er exposure to unsafe and dangerous counter- feit products." 3 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency under the Department of Homeland Figure 1: Supply chain is an overwhelming concern for PCB fabricators and suppliers, according to an I-Connect007 survey.