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Majority of APAC consumers are willing to sacrifice data security for convenience
F5's latest Curve of Convenience 2023 report shows data security taking a back seat with APAC consumers, with an increased willingness to save and share personal payment data on multiple platforms.
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Google's approach to further reduce the security burden on users
October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month and with online safety being top of mind, Google has launched new products and features to help people everywhere. These releases include in-built features that work around-the-clock to take the security burden off users, and updates to privacy controls that help to easily protect personal information.
- Dark web report: Users can check if their Gmail address has been exposed on the dark web as well as get guidance on how they can protect themself online by accessing the Dark Web Report in their account menu in the Google App. They just have to sign into the Google App and tap their profile picture to open the menu.
- Passwordless by Default: Passkeys are a simpler and more secure way to sign into sites online and can be used with the Google Accounts. To make transition to passwordless even easier, Google is offering the ability to set up passkeys for all users — by default.
- A new requirement to make email safer for everyone: Gmail recently announced new requirements for large senders to make email safer and more user-friendly for everyone, including enforcing authentication, enabling easy unsubscription, enforcing a clear spam rate threshold. This is in addition to Gmail’s AI-powered defenses, which block more than 99.9% of spam, phishing and malware — that’s 15 billion unwanted emails every day.
- Easier access to clear browsing data: Google added an option to quickly delete users’ browsing history in Chrome without interrupting current activities. Users just need to click the three dots in the top-right corner of the Chrome browser and select “Clear browsing data”.
- Use the Google App as the credential provider for your iOS device: Google Password Manager is built into the Google App and you can already use it to securely save your passwords and sign in faster when you’re using the app. Now, you can set it as your Autofill provider so that the Google App can help you quickly and securely autofill your passwords into any app or website on your iOS device.
Feel free to read more about the announcements in Google’s blog post.
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How AI will change the way we work in Asia Pacific
Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot earlier this year, which will bring powerful new generative AI capabilities to apps millions of people use every day like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams and more.
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KAWO’s "Guide to China Social Metrics" helps marketing teams translate KPIs into business success
KAWO, the leading social media management platform in China, has launched its 2023 “Guide to China Social Metrics.”
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Black Friday Online Shopping Safety Checklist
Vigilance is urged during this 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as “AI generated scams enhance the threat to this year’s festive shoppers, as it’s revealed over 7 in 10 British people worry that AI will make it easier for criminals to commit online fraud” – NCSC.
But while AI scams like voice cloning, romance scams, and language mimicking are on the rise, “93% of the biggest spenders, millennials aged 24-35, plan to shop during this coming weekend. And they spend an average of $419.52 per person.” But with cyber security threats at an all-time high, how can shoppers and businesses stay cyber safe?
Here are our top tips for staying safe online, and the preventative measures that can be taken while shopping for your latest bargain.- Be Aware of Phishing & Quishing Attacks
SecurityHQ analysts have recently observed a significant increase in Business Email Compromise (BEC), regarding phishing attacks containing QR code (Quishing) and captchas for credentials harvesting. Quishing attacks usually occur via the scanning of a QR code. This technique involves tricking users into scanning a QR code using a mobile phone. The QR code then redirects the user to a phishing or fake website that aims to steal their credentials.
Read more about Quishing, and how to spot QR Code vulnerabilities, here. - Read the Small Print
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While Black Friday deals can offer huge discounts that are genuine, people still need to make money. Anything ridiculously cheap is a red flag.
What to look for:
- It is worth checking the reputation score of retailers to determine if that retailer can be trusted.
- A website with no company address, descriptions or specifications on items are all red flags. Look for the details. And do not base purchases solely off star ratings, as these can be fake.
- Pop-ups that offer free electronics are obvious scams, containing malicious phishing links, and should be avoided at all costs.
- Read the small print. Often cons are perfectly visible if you know what to look for. Like seeing a picture of a laptop being advertised, going to buy said laptop for a reduced rate without reading the small print, and receiving a literal picture of a laptop in the post. The devil is in the detail.
- Use Reputable Websites/Companies
Tried and Tested – Using websites that are globally known is a good way to avoid any nasty surprises. Even if it is a couple of pounds more, it is worth knowing where your money is going and that your purchase will be tracked and delivered.
Use Antivirus Software that will warn you of potentially dangerous sites in search results as well.
Look For Suspicious Emails, as well as suspicious calls and text messages. Never click on a link you are unsure of, and never provide personal information over the phone. Read more on email security, here. - Stop, Look, Check, Pay
Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) are used to ensure data is encrypted before being transmitted across the web. It is also an indication that an organization has been verified. Keep an eye out for HTTPS in the address bar rather than HTTP, as this highlights a site uses SSL.
Make Sure the Website That You Intend to Shop on is Not a Copy of a legitimate one. Verify that the date and name of the organization are consistent with the site you are visiting. And look for typos in the URL. Your best bet it to go directly to the website yourself, and do not access it through links on other sites/emails.
When using public Wi-Fi, use a VPN as the most effective way to stay safe and so that hackers do not steal your personal data while you are on an unsecure network. - Check Your Bank Account
- Use a credit card or payment method which offers protection (i.e., PayPal).
- Check your accounts regularly for fraudulent activity.
- Only provide enough details to complete your purchase (no extra details required)
- Keep Your Passwords Safe & Don’t Use Default Credentials
Default credentials used by applications and appliances are often published on the internet. This can be a big problem. An attacker will typically first scan your network to see where they can move next. If an attacker was lucky enough to identify applications or appliances with default credentials enabled, it won’t take them long to hunt on the internet for these published credentials. Read how to detect default credentials, here.
Finally, keep your passwords safe. Read this blog on password protocols to learn more. Don’t let cyber scams ruin your festive fun this winter!
By SecurityHQ - Be Aware of Phishing & Quishing Attacks
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Microsoft Cyber Signals report highlights spike in cybercriminal activity around business email compromise
Microsoft has released its fourth edition of Cyber Signals, highlighting a surge in cybercriminal activity around business email compromise (BEC), the common tactics employed by BEC operators, and how enterprises can defend against these attacks.
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Strategic merger of three digital technology firms in Asia
Three prominent digital services companies in Asia – Digile Technologies, Reveron Consulting, and Innopia Global – have merged to create a digital services powerhouse with a formidable presence in the Asian region.
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Artificial Intelligence key in analyzing trends in fraudster behavior
A new study from Juniper Research forecasts that the greatest merchant losses to fraud will be via remote physical goods purchases, with losses reaching $5.1 billion across emerging markets in 2028, up from $1 billion in 2023.
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Yahoo integrated approach for advertising in a cookieless world
Yahoo Advertising announced a new integration with Twilio Segment Customer Data Platform (CDP) to drive greater advertising reach and relevance, without relying on third-party cookies.
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New Apps, New Data, and New Resilience: Huawei Proposes Ways of Evolving Storage in the Yottabyte Era
The Innovative Data Infrastructure Forum (IDI Forum) 2023, revolving around the theme of "New Apps ∙ New Data ∙ New Resilience," took place on May 23 in Munich, Germany. The Forum brings together global industry experts and partners to explore the future of digital infrastructure towards the yottabyte era (a yottabyte is equal to a quadrillion gigabytes).
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API Security Company Neosec acquired by Akamai Technologies
Akamai Technologies, Inc. announced entering into a definitive agreement to acquire Neosec, an API detection and response platform based on data and behavioral analytics.
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Yahoo DSP advertisers now have access to low carbon PMPs
Yahoo and purpose-led ad platform Good-Loop announced a global partnership offering carbon neutral private marketplace (PMP) media opportunities to advertisers to help them become more sustainable.
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New Study by MAGNA & Yahoo Urges Marketers to Pair Media Placement with Quality Creative in Order to Drive Stronger Ad Effectiveness
Media placement and creative work hand in hand when it comes to effective advertising strategies. A new study by MAGNA Media Trials and Yahoo set out to understand the role that creative quality plays in ad effectiveness, and the elements that contribute to quality creative. Creative, the Performance Powerhouse found that while media placement helps marketers find consumers where they are, creative quality was responsible for 56% of purchase intent, illustrating the strong performance of both tactics as they work together. The study suggests that marketers can greatly benefit from making small improvements to their creative in order to optimize ad performance, while also driving brand quality and trust.
After a reportedly successful launch in 16 countries, Ringo is now available in India, offering 90% savings on international calling by converting international calls to local calls.
Ringo is an international calling app that uses a unique call flow to provide best-in-class call quality at costs lower than other popular calling apps. Ringo calls do not use the Internet or Wi-fi, but regular phone lines instead, making it a perfect fit for anyone looking to save big on high-quality international calls. From families to travellers to international businesses, all can save money, since Ringo supports calls to pretty much every mobile and landline destination worldwide.
"We believe our app will change the way India communicates with the world," said Bhavin Turakhia, CEO of Ringo. "In this country, reliable Internet connectivity that can support VoIP calling is still far away. Ringo provides the perfect solution for Indian consumers who want to stay in touch with their family, friends and colleagues abroad, reliably and at a low-cost."
According to Telegeography, 20 billion international voice minutes in 2012 originated from India (not counting OTT apps), representing 4% of the global international subscriber dialing (ISD) traffic and making India the 4th largest originator of ISD calls in the world, after USA, UK and Germany. Consumers in India spend well over $2 billion annually in making international calls. Ringo, whose prices are said to be 70% cheaper than, for instance, those of Vodafone or Airtel, and 20% cheaper than those of Skype or Viber for most destinations, will result in huge cost savings for Indian consumers.
"The app is a result of significant technology investments, global carrier partnerships and strategic relationships," says Bhavin. "We believe that communication should be easy and inexpensive. We envision a world where cost is not even a criterion for communications with anyone anywhere around the globe."
As mentioned, unlike other OTT voice apps, Ringo calls do not use the Internet, Wi-fi, data or carrier minutes. Using Ringo is identical to making a call through your carrier in terms of quality, and yet costs 70% less than standard rates offered by most telcos. Ringo instead uses a unique call flow to convert international calls into local calls, which means when a Ringo user from India contacts someone in the United Kingdom, Ringo will automatically dial out a local call to the Indian user and another local call to the UK user and connect the two over reliable carrier circuits.
Actually, Ringo's launch in India could not have been timed better, considering recent debates by carriers and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) about to start charging consumers over to VoIP. Amidst this controversy, Ringo provides a unique international calling solution that does not use VoIP and hence will never incur these additional costs.
As a disruptive technology, set within a $95 billion dollar industry, Ringo of course expects to ruffle some feathers. However, based on user feedback, the company is convinced to gain success and significant traction in a short while.
It is available for download on iOS, Android and Windows smartphones as well as at Ringo.co. – feel free to check it out.
By Daniela La Marca