TECHNOLOGY
6 months of phishing attacks in ’22 exceed SEA’s total number last year
October 10, 2022 6:21 p.m.
Phishing incidents continue to skyrocket in Southeast Asia (SEA). The latest data from global cybersecurity company Kaspersky revealed that it only took six months for cybercriminals to exceed their phishing attacks last year against users from the region.
From January to June 2022, Kaspersky’s Anti-Phishing system blocked a total of 12,127,692 malicious links in SEA. It is 1 million more than the total number of phishing attacks detected here in 2021 – 11,260,643.
Phishing, a type of social engineering attack, remains one of the key methods used by attackers to compromise their targets – both individuals and organizations. It works as it is done on a large scale where cybercriminals send massive waves of emails purporting to be legitimate companies or personalities to promote fake pages or infect users with malicious attachments.
The end goal of a phishing attack is to steal credentials – particularly financial and login information – to steal money or worse to compromise an entire organization.
More than half of the H1 2022 phishing detections were targeting Kaspersky users in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Four out of six countries from SEA – Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam – recorded more phishing emails during the first six months of this year compared to their total number of incidents in 2021.
“The first half of 2022 is eventful in good and bad ways. On a personal level, we went through the seismic shift of trying to regain our lives post-pandemic, forcing companies and organizations to welcome remote and hybrid work. The travel sector, including airlines, airports, travel agencies, and more, has also been overwhelmed by the influx of tourists wanting to travel with borders now open. Behind these shifts are networks and systems that needed to be updated and secured hastily. On the other hand, cybercriminals are all ears and with their ability to tweak their messages and infuse them with believable urgency. As a result, we’ve seen real, unfortunate incidents of victims losing money because of phishing attacks,” comments Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
Aside from individual’s loss of money, Kaspersky’s elite researcher recently sounded the alarm that most of the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups in the Asia Pacific including SEA use targeted phishing to enter into a highly-defended network.
As the name “advanced” suggests, an APT uses continuous, clandestine, and sophisticated hacking techniques to gain access to a system and remain inside for a prolonged period of time, with potentially destructive consequences.
Because of the level of effort needed to carry out such an attack, APTs are usually leveled at high-value targets, such as nation states and large corporations, with the ultimate goal of stealing information over a long period of time, rather than simply “dipping in” and leaving quickly, as many black hat hackers do during lower level cyber assaults.
Noushin Shabab, Senior Security Researcher for Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) at Kaspersky, revealed in a recent presentation that targeted phishing, also known as spear phishing, is the preferred infection vector of APT groups operating in the region.
“We did a report this year which found that the majority (75%) of executives here are aware and even anticipate an APT attack against their organizations. With phishing incidents hitting the roof in just the first six months of the year, enterprises, public entities, and government agencies should understand the impact of one wrong click on their critical networks and systems. We, humans, remain the weakest link and it is time to look beyond training and awareness. Backup security plans – like incident response capabilities – should be in place to stop a phishing email from becoming the launch pad of a damaging attack to your organization,” adds Yeo.
Traditional security often doesn’t stop spear phishing attacks because they are so cleverly customized. As a result, they’re becoming more difficult to detect. One employee mistake can have serious consequences for businesses, governments, and even nonprofit organizations.
With stolen data, fraudsters can reveal commercially sensitive information, manipulate stock prices or commit various acts of espionage. In addition, spear phishing attacks can deploy malware to hijack computers, organizing them into enormous networks called botnets that can be used for denial of service attacks.
To fight spear phishing scams, employees need to be aware of the threats, such as the possibility of bogus emails landing in their inbox. Besides education, technology that focuses on email security is necessary. Kaspersky recommends installing protective anti-phishing solutions on mail servers as well as on employee workstations.
For enterprises and organizations, Kaspersky suggests building incident response capabilities that will help manage the aftermath of an attack and to incorporate threat intelligence services to have in-depth knowledge of the evolving threat and tactics of active APT groups.
TECHNOLOGY
LG honored with multiple awards for Innovative Product Design at IDEA 2023
September 4, 2023 3:11 p.m.
LG Electronics (LG) has once again been recognized for outstanding product design, earning 13 awards at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2023, announced at the International Design Conference in New York, New York.
The LG PuriCare AeroTower, an air purifier that can also be used as a side table and mood lamp, was honored with a Bronze Award at yesterday’s conference. Offering personalized performance and design options, as well as a compact form factor, LG’s air purifier can be tailored to match any home interior and is ideal for smaller spaces. With its latest win, the LG PuriCare AeroTower has now been recognized by all three of the world’s top industrial design award programs: IDEA, the Red Dot Award and iF Design Award.
Another IDEA 2023 honoree, the LG OLED Flex (model LX3) is an innovative TV featuring the world’s first bendable 42-inch OLED screen. The LX3, which made its international debut at IFA last year, offers a new level of screen customizability – its self-lit display able to go from completely flat to spectacularly curved with the push of a button.
“The achievement from this year’s IDEA is the result of the synergy between customer experience-centered technology and aesthetics,” said Hwang Sung-gyul, head of the Design Management Center at LG Electronics. “We will continue to improve the level of perfection by reflecting innovative customer experiences beyond the existing framework in product design by constantly communicating and empathizing with customers.”
Organized annually by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), IDEA is one of the world’s leading design award programs, recognizing exceptional achievements in the area of industrial design while taking into consideration various factors relating to design strategy, digital interaction, the environment, and social impact, when selecting award recipients.
Life’s about more than having the latest technology, rather, it’s about the experiences technology creates that impact our lives. LG Electronics Philippines delivers consumer electronics through top-of-the-line home entertainment appliances that prepare Filipinos for their greatest moments. LG promises to bring “Innovation for a Better Life” nationwide – from Luzon, to Visayas, and Mindanao. LG products are available via lg.com/ph and through its flagship stores in Lazada and Shopee. For more information, visit and follow their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube (@lgphilippines).
TECHNOLOGY
TCL AAT Inverter+ Refrigerators take lead to healthier lifestyle
July 10, 2023 4:33 p.m.
TCL, the leading consumer electronics brand and the world’s top two TV brand, launches their latest Free Build-In refrigerator that is highlighted by three defining features based on TCL’s advanced technology and elevated design.
Just in time for this month’s celebration of Nutrition month, TCL introduces the newest Refrigerator line up that reflects TCL’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge home technology at reasonable prices while enabling users to live healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more practical lives.
Introducing TCL’s Flagship Smart Fridge with Health and Energy-Saving Benefits
TCL’s AAT Inverter+ is set to be the best accessible high-tech top-mount refrigerator on the market and a great example of the powerful functionality featured across the TCL Refrigerator lineup.
With Filipino families becoming more health conscious than ever before, TCL AAT Inverter+’s Healthy Fresh functions are equipped with smart functions to keep your food chilled at the right temperature and ensure it stays fresher for longer, with the innovative Multi Air flow system, AI radar, and the Automatic Anion-releasing Technology (AAT) .
Speaking of better care of health, TCL’s AAT Inverter + also puts emphasis on its care for the planet. Its Twin Eco Inverter provides the perfect cooling environment for food, which not only enables long-lasting freshness but also saves energy and money. The Twin Eco Inverter also provides a steady temperature inside the refrigerator which inhibits the growth of ice, a process known as Total No Frost. Food remains frost-free so there is no need for manual defrost and no danger of food sticking to the walls of the refrigerator or being frozen when placed towards the back.
Lastly, the Easy-Using features give the user experience a premium feel, with little adaptations to make life more convenient, such as large storage space, Twist Ice Maker to freeze, unmold and store ice cubes with a simple gesture.
The TCL’s Varied Refrigerator Range Suited for Every Filipino Family
Aside from TCL AAT Inverter+, TCL has an extensive range of refrigerators to suit every Filipino family’s needs. The TCL FreshPro Direct Cool+ line is an accessible but highly functionable range, with precise temperature control allowing for accurate cooling to ensure optimum conditions to preserve freshness. TCL FreshPro Direct Cool+ Refrigerators are designed to be running at low noise thanks to innovative compressors, ensuring you are never disturbed by humming or buzzing, and soft LED lighting offers excellent illumination of the fridge contents whilst saving on energy consumption.
Regarding the energy saving aspect, like the TCL AAT Inverter+, The TCL FreshPro AAT Inverter Max collection also comes with a Twin Eco Inverter, which allows accurate temperature control whilst reducing energy consumption and noise for a quieter and more environmentally friendly option. What’s amazing is that the TCL FreshPro AAT Inverter Max range comes equipped with powerful cooling functions – with just a press of one button, the Power Cool increases the cooling rate to chill your drinks and food rapidly whilst the Power Freeze further enhances the cooling effect to freeze food and ice. The Max Space feature allows families to customize storage within the fridge to suit their requirements, with daily items organized to be easily accessible whilst optimizing the space available allowing the ability to stock up on family favorites.
Discover TCL’s range of refrigerators to suit every consumer’s requirements, rolling out across retailers in the Philippines this month.
TECHNOLOGY
Huawei’s Sabrina Meng: Embracing 5G transformation
June 28, 20237:30 p.m.
SHANGHAI — At the opening day of MWC Shanghai 2023 today, Sabrina Meng, Huawei’s Rotating Chairwoman and CFO, gave a keynote titled “Embracing 5G transformation”.
“5G has been in commercial use around the world for four years now. It’s driving new value creation, and 5.5G is the next step forward,” said Meng. “Science and technology are moving towards large, complex systems. This requires matching technology to specific scenarios and performing systems engineering, in order to pave the way for 5G’s ongoing success.”
5G is creating value along three different fronts
Science fiction can only sketch the future. But science and technology can turn imagination into reality.
5G has been in commercial use for four years now. Across all industries and countless households around the world, it’s changing the way we work and live, creating tremendous economic, industrial, and social value.
For consumers, 5G, cloud, and AI have set off a chain reaction, creating an environment where all buyers can also be sellers.
For industries, 5G has become a new driver of productivity. There’s greater alignment than ever between technology suppliers, their partners, and customers on where 5G can provide the most value. Strategic patience, in-depth understanding of industrial scenarios, and ongoing improvements to ROI have given 5G a foothold in industrial applications.
Moving ahead, 5G will give rise to new devices and applications that deliver a more immersive experience, like 5G New Calling and naked-eye 3D. 5G is also ushering in a new era of super-connectivity between things, bringing new strength to IoT networks and driving new forms of productivity.
5.5G is the next step forward for 5G. 5.5G will feature 10-gigabit downlink speeds, gigabit uplink speeds, the ability to support 100 billion connections, and native AI. It will not only connect people better – it will also create incredible new business opportunities with more targeted support for industrial needs in domains like IoT, sensing, and advanced manufacturing.
Taking 5G to the next level and paving the way for ongoing success
The ladder to success isn’t built on ongoing progress with a single technology. It’s built on matching technology to specific scenarios and real-world needs. And systems engineering is key to taking the next step up.
The commercial deployment of 5G has created a growing appetite for more groundbreaking, leapfrog innovation. So what will take 5G to the next level, and how will it provide greater value in different vertical markets?
This will require finding the right technology for different scenarios and performing more comprehensive systems engineering. This will also require diving deeper into industrial scenarios, truly understanding customers’ pain points, and adopting a more holistic systems engineering mindset.
The industry needs to work more closely together both up and down the value chain – with peers and partners, customers and developers – on solution modeling and optimization, as well as tools and methodologies. The industry also needs to pave the way for ongoing success throughout the entire product lifecycle, from R&D and procurement, to supply and marketing.
Building up integrated capabilities and exploring the future of communications
The digital infrastructure of the future intelligent world will be deeply integrated into every aspect of people’s lives, industry, and society. It won’t be based on advancements in individual technologies, but rather on incredibly massive, complex systems – the convergence of multiple elements. It’s going to require systems-level thinking and design.
When watching a chess game, you can see the big picture. But when you’re playing chess, you focus on the details. Likewise, systematic capabilities to integrate technology and transform management are critical for the future success of 5G.
Meng spoke about two specific types of integrated capabilities. “The first is integrating different technologies. We can achieve greater synergy across cloud, networks, edge, and devices through systematic design and cross-domain innovation. When coupled with optimization across software, hardware, chips, and algorithms, we can address the challenges associated with developing complex solutions for vastly different industrial scenarios.”
“The second,” she continued, “is the ability to integrate different approaches to management. Digital and intelligent transformation is not just about technology itself. It’s more about transforming your approach to management. Going digital requires redefining the relationships between people, events, things, and theory, and adopting a more open, forward-looking management approach to address future challenges.”
Meng concluded: “Information technologies like 5G, 5.5G, AI, and cloud will help us rise with the tide and take us forward to an intelligent world. The best scenery is always ahead. Let’s create a bright future together.”
In the Philippines, the three major telecommunications service providers have rolled out 5G networks nationwide to offer better network services and optimize the potential of innovative technology.
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