Tag Archives: Data

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes + Docs Stolen!

CD PROJEKT RED just had their source codes and internal documents stolen in a MAJOR HACK, and they may all end up being leaked!

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : Source Codes Stolen, Servers Encrypted!

On 9 February 2021, CD PROJEKT RED announced that their data – including source codes and internal documents – were stolen in a hack, and could possibly be leaked.

Their servers were also encrypted in a secondary ransomware attack by the same hackers, but they had backups of the encrypted data.

CD PROJEKT RED publicly ruled out negotiating with the hackers, or giving in to their demands.

This would likely mean that their source codes and internal documents will eventually be released publicly by the hackers.

The only silver lining – CD PROJEKT RED noted that they do not have any evidence that the personal data of their employees were accessed or stolen.

CD PROJEKT RED Hack : The Hackers’ Threats

According to the ransom note left on their servers, the hackers stole :

FULL source codes for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, GWENT and the unreleased version of Witcher 3.
ALL of their internal documents on accounting, administration, legal, HR, investor relations and more

They also encrypted all of their CD PROJEKT RED’s servers, but acknowledged that they would most likely recover the data from their backups.

The hackers are giving the CD PROJEKT RED team 48 hours to contact them to negotiate.

If there is no agreement, they threaten to sell or leak the source codes, and release their internal documents to the media.

They claim that the internal documents will make CD PROJEKT RED look bad, causing their stock prices to fall and their investors will lose trust in them.

CD PROJEKT RED : Official Statement On Hack

This is the official statement by CD PROJEKT RED on the hack :

Yesterday we discovered that we have become a victim of a targeted cyber attack, due to which some of our internal systems have been compromised.

An unidentified actor gained unauthorized access to our internal network, collected certain data belonging to CD PROJEKT capital group, and left a ransom note the content of which we release to the public. Although some devices in our network have been encrypted, our backups remain intact. We have already secured our IT infrastructure and begun restoring the data.

We will not give in to the demands nor negotiate with the factor, being aware that this may eventually lead to the release of the compromised data. We are taking necessary steps to mitigate the consequences of such a release, in particular by approaching any parties that may be affected due to the breach.

We are still investigating the incident, however at this t time we can confirm that – to the best of our knowledge – the compromised systems did not contain any personal data of our players or users of our services.

We have already approached the relevant authorities, including law enforcement and the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, as well as IT forensic specialists, and we will closely cooperate with them in order to fully investigate the incident.

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Why You Should NOT Move WhatsApp Chats To Telegram!

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Telegram just highlighted the ability to migrate WhatsApp chats to their app, but you really should NOT do that.

Find out why this is a BIG security and privacy risk than just leaving your chats in WhatsApp!

Telegram : Moving Chat History From WhatsApp, Line + KakaoTalk

In a recent version 7.4 update for their iOS app, Telegram announced a new feature – the ability to move your chat messages from other apps like WhatsApp, Line and Kakaotalk to their app.

Curiously, that ability has actually been part of WhatsApp since 2018, when they introduced the ability to export chats to email and other apps.

And while this feature is purportedly available only with the iOS version of Telegram Messenger, you can already do that with existing versions of WhatsApp and Telegram.

Why You Should NOT Move WhatsApp Chats To Telegram!

You should note that the privacy risks with WhatsApp have been grossly exaggerated by the media and many Internet “experts”.

For one thing – WhatsApp users have been sharing metadata with Facebook since September 2016, a fact initially lost on many media outlets and “experts”.

But we understand the fear – Facebook is a real snoop. Even so, it would be a mistake to migrate from WhatsApp to Telegram.

Let us share with you why you should NOT migrate from WhatsApp to Telegram, and why it is a BIG mistake to migrate your WhatsApp data to Telegram.

Fact #1 : Telegram Is LESS Secure Than WhatsApp

WhatsApp fully implemented end-to-end encryption across all of their apps and network since 5 April 2016.

End-to-end encryption prevents WhatsApp or Facebook from reading your messages. Only the sender and receiver(s) can read them.

WhatsApp shares a considerable amount of data and metadata that Facebook can use to identify and track your movements and activities. But not the content of your messages.

Telegram, on the other hand, has STILL NOT implemented end-to-end encryption for all messages by default.

Instead, they still insist on offering end-to-end encryption only when you create a Secret Chat.

This leaves the bulk of your messages completely readable by Telegram and anyone who intercepts those messages as they travel from your device through the Internet to the recipient.

The very presence of Secret Chats between certain people is itself metadata that can help oppressive regimes identify their enemies or whistleblowers.

Fact #2 : Your Data Is Stored In Telegram Cloud Servers

All WhatsApp data is stored only in your registered device. WhatsApp also does not retain messages in their servers after they are delivered, and will only store files (like photos and videos) and undelivered messages for 30 days.

It’s the opposite with Telegram – all of your data – messages, photos, videos, documents – is stored in their cloud servers. Even though they are encrypted in storage, Telegram holds the encryption keys, NOT YOU.

This ability has its advantages like convenient access across multiple devices, but it also makes Telegram less secure.

Telegram has access to your encrypted files, including the ability to decrypt them for authorities that legally compels them to do so.

Fact #3 : Moving Your Messages + Media To Telegram Exposes Them

While your chats and media remain within your WhatsApp app, they are encrypted and not available to anyone but yourself (and the recipients).

Migrating your chat messages and media to Telegram would involve sending them unencrypted to Telegram’s servers.

This exposes your hitherto secure chats and media to a man-in-the-middle attack – allowing a third party to snoop or grab a copy of the data as it travels unencrypted to the Telegram servers.

Fact #4 : Facebook Already Has Your Metadata

As we pointed out earlier, WhatsApp has been sharing our metadata with Facebook since September 2016.

So moving your existing chats out of WhatsApp won’t limit or reduce your exposure. That horse has long bolted from the stable.

Moving your chat history and files to Telegram will just offer a new attack surface for cybercriminals and oppressive regimes.

Fact #5 : Facebook Will Still Have Your Data If You Still Use Facebook!

Here is the other thing that people don’t realise – migrating from WhatsApp to another messaging app is pointless if you do not also stop using Facebook.

As long as you still use Facebook, they will still have access to a consideration amount of metadata. Losing your WhatsApp metadata just gives them less metadata.

After all, Facebook can track your movements and activity even if you are NOT on Facebook! This is what they call Off-Facebook Activity.

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Fact Check : Fat Bidin Claims On MySejahtera Snooping!

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Wan Azlee, who goes by Fat Bidin, claims that MySejahtera is mining private information from our phones.

Find out what he discovered, and what the FACTS really are!

Updated @ 2020-12-03 : Added MySejahtera version history for more context.

Updated @ 2020-12-01 : Added more information, including how to disable permissions in Android and iOS for the paranoid.

Originally posted @ 2020-11-30

Fat Bidin : MySejahtera Is Mining Information From Our Phones!

In Episode 41 of Fat Bidin Knows Everything, Wan Azlee claimed (between mouthfuls of oats) that MySejahtera is mining a wealth of private information from our phones.

His evidence? A report by the Exodus Privacy website, stating that MySejahtera has 6 trackers and 24 permissions.

He went through the 24 permissions and made these concerning observations about MySejahtera :

it can take control of your phone and pair it with your Bluetooth devices
directly call phone numbers
find accounts on your phone
read your contacts in your phone
read the contents of your SD card
modify or delete the contents of your SD card
prevent your phone from sleeping
modify your contacts

Phwoarrrr…. shocking, isn’t it? Wan Azlee / Fat Bidin then asks the Malaysia Ministry of Health to be transparent and tell us what’s going on.

Well, let’s take a closer look at his claims…

Fat Bidin On MySejahtera Is Mining Our Information : A Fact Check

Wan Azlee is very articulate, but Fat Bidin honestly doesn’t quite know everything… and here’s why.

Fact #1 : That MySejahtera Version Was From April 2020

Fat Bidin posted his video on 24 November 2020, and we noticed that he was checking an old version of MySejahtera – version 1.0.10, that was posted way back in April 2020.

For the record, there has been FOURTEEN UPDATES since that version :

1.0.11 : 23 April 2020
1.0.12 : 28 April 2020
1.0.13 : 3 May 2020
1.0.15 : 4 May 2020
1.0.16 : 13 May 2020
1.0.17 : 23 May 2020
1.0.18 : 30 May 2020
1.0.19 : 3 June 2020
1.0.20 : 28 June 2020
1.0.21 : 30 June 2020
1.0.22 : 21 July 2020
1.0.23 : 29 July 2020
1.0.24 : 11 August 2020
1.0.25 : 5 November 2020

The latest version of MySejahtera – version 1.0.25 – was released on 5 November 2020 – 19 days before Wan Azlee posted his video.

Why on Earth would he focus on a 6 month-old version of the app, when there is a much newer version?

Fact #2 : Exodus Posted Their Latest MySejahtera Report On 20 November 2020

Exodus posted their latest report on the latest version of MySejahtera (version 1.0.25) on 20 November 2020 at 10:47 am (as you can see in this screenshot).

That was 4 days before Wan Azlee posted his video, so why didn’t he use this new report instead?

Fact #3 : MySejahtera Has 1 Tracker + 14 Permissions According To Exodus

According to the November 20 Exodus report, MySejahtera has 1 tracker – Google Firebase Analytics, and 14 permissions, of which the highlighted ones were :

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION : access approximate location (network-based)
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION : access precise location (GPS and network-based)
CALL_PHONE : directly call phone numbers
CAMERA : take pictures and videos
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE : read the contents of your SD card
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE : modify or delete the contents of your SD card

We immediately noticed that several controversial permissions are no longer in it :

GET_ACCOUNTS : find accounts on the device
READ_CONTACTS : read your contacts
WRITE_CONTACTS : modify your contacts

So if you are worried that MySejahtera is reading your contacts or modifying them, just UPDATE it to the latest version 1.0.25!

Fact #4 : Actual Permissions Are Fewer

When we checked MySejahtera 1.0.25 as installed in our phone, we found that it actually asked for and used only 11 permissions, instead of 14 as reported by Exodus.

The report also offered a bit more context about those permissions. For instance, location data is only made available when you are actively using the app.

That’s because the location data is used by MySejahtera for its Hotspot Tracker and Locate Health Screening Facility features.

In your phone, you can tap on them for more information on what they allow the app to do.

Fact #5 : Apps Need To Read, Modify + Delete Their Own Data

The permission to read, modify and delete content on our phone may seem ridiculous, but it is a necessity for most apps.

Unless the apps is merely a container for a website or web service, it needs to store data, and modify or delete it when necessary.

Fact #6 : Access To External / SD Card Is Necessary

Most developers will also ask for the permission to read, modify and delete content to the (micro) SD card, because of Adoptable Storage.

Adoptable Storage is a feature that lets smartphones use external storage (like a microSD card) as if it is part of their internal storage.

When a microSD card is used this way, apps like MySejahtera can be installed on it. Therefore, it would require permission to read, modify and delete its own data on the external storage card.

Fact #7 : Android Restricts Data Snooping

Apps that have access to read / modify / write external storage are allowed to access files from other apps. However, this is limited to only these three media collections :

MediaStore.Images
MediaStore.Video
MediaStore.Audio

MySejahtera, or any other app with similar permissions, cannot read / modify / delete data outside of those three media storage locations.

Fact #8 : MySejahtera Has A Privacy Policy

Like all other Android and iOS apps, MySejahtera has a privacy policy, where it is stated clearly that

MySejahtera is owned and operated by the Government of Malaysia. It is administrated by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and assisted by the National Security Council (NSC) and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU). The Government assures that the collection of your personal information is align with Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709).

The app will not record user’s Personal Data except with the permission and voluntarily provided by the user. Information collected are used for monitoring and enforcement purposes by Government authorities in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is not shared with other organizations for other purposes unless specifically stated.

Fact #9 : You Are Protected By PDPA 2010 (Act 709)

We are all protected by the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709).

Anyone who is caught sharing our personal data without permission is be liable to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.

Fact #10 : You Can Disable Permissions

You can view and disable any permission that worries you :

Android

Go to Settings > Apps > MySejahtera > Permissions.
Tap on the permission you don’t want, and select Deny.

Apple iOS

Go to Settings > MySejahtera.
Disable the permissions you don’t want.

But note that doing this will likely break some features in MySejahtera.

Fact #11 : Many Other Apps Are Worse For Your Privacy

When it comes to privacy, we have bigger fishes to fry. Take a look at how many trackers and permissions these four popular apps require.

They make MySejahtera look absolutely privacy-conscious!

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Lazada RedMart Data Breach : What You Need To Know!

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Lazada just admitted that a data breach involving their RedMart customer database that could affect some 1.1 million customers!

Find out what happened, and what it could mean for Lazada and RedMart customers!

Lazada RedMart : What Is It?

RedMart is an online grocery platform in Singapore that was founded in August 2011.

Lazada acquired RedMart in November 2016, and started to integrate it into their platform in March 2019.

This March 2019 date is important, because that was when the RedMart database was last updated.

Lazada RedMart Data Breach : What Happened?

The Lazada RedMart database was spotted for same in an online forum, amongst many other databases stolen from other e-commerce websites.

In this screenshot, you can see that it claims to have details on 1.1 million Lazada RedMart customers :

Email address
Password
Mailing address
Name
Phone number
Partial credit card information

Picture Credit : CNA

In a statement posted on 30 October 2020, Lazada confirmed the data breach involving their RedMart database.

They assert that only the old RedMart database that was “18 months out of date” when it was last updated in March 2019.

Singapore, 30 October 2020 – Lazada places great importance on protecting your personal information, and we value the trust you have placed with us. On 29 October 2020, as part of our proactive monitoring, our cybersecurity team discovered a data security incident in Singapore, involving a RedMart-only database hosted on a third-party service provider. The customer data hosted on this database is more than 18 months out of date as it was last updated in March 2019.

The customer information that was illegally accessed include the names, phone numbers, emails, addresses, encrypted passwords and partial credit card numbers of RedMart customers. We have taken immediate action to block unauthorised access to the database. This data was used on the previous RedMart app and website, which are no longer in use. Lazada customer data in Southeast Asia is not affected by this incident.

Protecting the data and privacy of our users is of utmost importance to us. Apart from reviewing and fortifying our security infrastructure, we are working very closely with the relevant authorities on this incident and remain committed to providing all necessary support to our users.

We want to be transparent about this incident with all of our customers and reassure you that we are taking it seriously.

They also set their platform to log out all Lazada users, and require them to register a new password.

They are also warning their users to be on the alert for spam mails requesting personal information.

Lazada RedMart Data Breach : What’s The Implication?

A Data Breach Is A Data Breach Is A Data Breach

Lazada may claim that the data and privacy of their users are of the utmost importance, but the data breach says otherwise.

They left a database they no longer used since March 2019 on a third-party service provider, and accessible online all this time.

Any half-decent cybersecurity specialist would have told them to take the database offline, unless it was essential to the operation of the website.

Closing The Barn Door After The Horses Have Bolted

Lazada immediately blocked unauthorised access to their RedMart database, but that’s like closing the barn door after the horses have bolted.

Once the data was stolen, all it does is prevent other attackers from stealing the data for themselves.

Lazada Migrated RedMart Users In March 2016

It seems a little disingenuous for Lazada to announce that the data was used in “the previous RedMart app and website, which are no longer in use“.

They appear to have migrated RedMart users to Lazada on 15 March 2016 using the same data that was just stolen.

Unless RedMart users changed their passwords, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or credit card details AFTER they were migrated to the Lazada platform, they remain exposed by the data breach.

The Data Isn’t Necessarily Outdated

Most of us don’t change our logins and passwords that often. And we often reuse the same login and password combination for different websites.

So it is scant assurance that their RedMart database was last updated in March 2019, even if we take their word that it was more than 18 months out of date.

This data breach exposes all affected RedMart users to the possibility of their other accounts being breached as well.

Only Ex-RedMart Users Affected

The only saving grace we can see here is that it looks like only former RedMart users are affected by this data breach.

That means Lazada users who never registered or used the RedMart app or website are not affected.

Lazada RedMart Data Breach : What Can You Do?

If you ever registered for, or used, RedMart before their migration to the Lazada platform in March 2016, we highly recommend that you :

change your Lazada password
change the password of accounts that use the same password as your Lazada / RedMart account
do NOT click on links in emails warning you about this data breach and asking you to change your password
do NOT respond to calls or messages warning you about this data breach
do NOT respond to requests for personal information

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TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps!

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TikTok was caught spying on what we type in other apps, not once, but TWICE… so far.

Find out what’s going on, and what you should do about it!

TikTok : What Is It?

TikTok is a Chinese social networking service built around short video clips. Developed and owned by ByteDance which is based in Beijing, it is very popular amongst young people and even children.

This has led to numerous controversies as TikTok proved slow or reluctant to remove dangerous or racist videos :

TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps… TWICE!

Beyond their obvious desire to grow their service at the expense of the danger to real people, there have been cybersecurity and privacy concerns about TikTok.

In a space of just four months, TikTok has been caught spying on what we type in OTHER APPS… not once, but TWICE. Take a look at this video expose…

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : First Time

Let’s start in March 2020, when Talal Has Bakry and Tommy Mysk exposed how they found that TikTok was spying on what we typed in other apps through the pasteboard / clipboard.

In the video above, you can see how TikTok immediately asked to read all text stored in the pasteboard, whenever it is launched.

The pasteboard contains everything you copied earlier – messages from other people, quotes from an article, or far more sensitive stuff like your password or account number.

And because of Apple’s universal clipboard feature, this means everything you copy on your Mac or iPad will be available on your iPhone, and therefore TikTok.

To be clear, TikTok was just one of the many apps that they found to be spying on what we type. Here were the apps they confirmed were spying on the pasteboard / clipboard.

News	Games	Social	Other
ABC News Al Jazeera English CBS News CNBC Fox News News Break New York Times NPR itv Nachrichten Reuters Russia Today Stern Nachrichten The Economist The Huffington Post The Wall Street Journal VICE News	8 Ball Pool AMAZE!!! Bejeweled Block Puzzle Classic Bejeweled Classic Bejeweled HD Flip The Gun Fruit Ninja Golfmasters Letter Soup Love Nikki My Emma Plants vs. Zombies Heroes Pooking – Billiards City PUBG Mobile Tomb of the Mask Tomb of the Mask: Color Total Party Kill Watermarbling	TikTok ToTalk Tok Truecaller Viber Weibo Zoosk	10% Happier: Meditation 5-0 Radio Police Scanner Accuweather AliExpress Shopping Bed Bath & Beyond Dazn Hotels.com Hotel Tonight Overstock Pigment – Adult Coloring Book Recolor Coloring Book to Color Sky Ticket The Weather Network

At that time, TikTok told Zak Doffman that it was Google Ads that was snooping into the pasteboard / clipboard.

“The clipboard access issues showed up due to third-party SDKs, in our case an older version Google Ads SDK. We are in the processes of updating so that the third-party SDK will no longer have access.“

They claimed it was because TikTok was using an older Google Ads SDK, which they have since replaced with a newer version.

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : Second Time

BFast forward to June, and the release of iOS 14 beta. The new clipboard warning feature in iOS 14 appears to have caught TikTok spying on the pasteboard / clipboard once again.

In the dramatic video shared by Jeremy Burge – the 1:35 point in our video above – he shows TikTok grabbing the contents of his iPhone’s clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes, as he typed in Instagram!

Okay so TikTok is grabbing the contents of my clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes. iOS 14 is snitching on it with the new paste notification
— Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

Okay so TikTok is grabbing the contents of my clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes. iOS 14 is snitching on it with the new paste notification pic.twitter.com/OSXP43t5SZ

— Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

This is even more egregious than the first time they spied on the pasteboard / clipboard! Instead of just looking at what you copied into the clipboard earlier, TikTok is literally reading what you are typing in a different app!

TikTok claimed that this issue was “triggered by a feature designed to identify repetitive, spammy behaviour“, and that they have already submitted an updated app without this “anti-spam feature“.

TikTok Caught Spying : What Should YOU Do?

If you are not a frequent TikTok user, the answer is simple – UNINSTALL TikTok.

If you really like TikTok, you should immediately update to the latest version, which ByteDance claims will no longer read your clipboard because it has both an updated Google Ads SDK, as well as their anti-spam feature removed.

Either way, if you are concerned about privacy issues with TikTok, you should write to privacy@tiktok.com and express your deep concerns about not letting them read what you are typing, whether it is in their app or other apps.

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Jeff Clarke : Tech Predictions For 2020 + Next Data Decade!

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Dell Technologies COO and Vice Chairman, Jeff Clarke, reveals his tech predictions for 2020, the start of what Dell Technologies considers as the Next Data Decade!

Jeff Clarke : Tech Predictions For 2020 + Next Data Decade!

It’s hard to believe that we’re heading into the year 2020 – a year that many have marked as a milestone in technology. Autonomous cars lining our streets, virtual assistants predicting our needs and taking our requests, connected and intelligent everything across every industry.

When I stop to think about what has been accomplished over the last decade – it’s quite remarkable. While we don’t have fully autonomous cars zipping back and forth across major freeways with ease, automakers are getting closer to deploying autonomous fleets in the next few years.

Many of the every-day devices, systems and applications we use are connected and intelligent – including healthcare applications, industrial machines and financial systems – forming what is now deemed as “the edge.”

At the root of all that innovation and advancement are massive amounts of data and compute power, and the capacity across edge, cloud and core data center infrastructure to put data through its paces. And with the amount of data coming our way in the next 10 years – we can only imagine what the world around us will look like in 2030, with apps and services we haven’t even thought of yet.

2020 marks the beginning of what we at Dell Technologies are calling the Next Data Decade, and we are no doubt entering this era with new – and rather high – expectations of what technology can make possible for how we live, work and play. So what new breakthroughs and technology trends will set the tone for what’s to come over the next 10 years? Here are my top predictions for the year ahead.

2020 proves it’s time to keep IT simple

We’ve got a lot of data on our hands…big data, meta data, structured and unstructured data – data living in clouds, in devices at the edge, in core data centers…it’s everywhere. But organisations are struggling to ensure the right data is moving to the right place at the right time. They lack data visibility – the ability for IT teams to quickly access and analyse the right data – because there are too many systems and services woven throughout their IT infrastructure. As we kick off 2020, CIOs will make data visibility a top IT imperative because after all, data is what makes the flywheel of innovation spin.

We’ll see organisations accelerate their digital transformation by simplifying and automating their IT infrastructure and consolidating systems and services into holistic solutions that enable more control and clarity. Consistency in architectures, orchestration and service agreements will open new doors for data management – and that ultimately gives data the ability be used as part of AI and Machine Learning to fuel IT automation. And all of that enables better, faster business outcomes that the innovation of the next decade will thrive on.

Cloud co-existence sees rolling thunder

The idea that public and private clouds can and will co-exist becomes a clear reality in 2020. Multi-cloud IT strategies supported by hybrid cloud architectures will play a key role in ensuing organisations have better data management and visibility, while also ensuring that their data remains accessible and secure. In fact, IDC predicted that by 2021, over 90% of enterprises worldwide will rely on a mix of on-premises/dedicated private clouds, several public clouds, and legacy platforms to meet their infrastructure needs.

But private clouds won’t simply exist within the heart of the data center. As 5G and edge deployments continue to rollout, private hybrid clouds will exist at the edge to ensure the real-time visibility and management of data everywhere it lives.

That means organisations will expect more of their cloud and service providers to ensure they can support their hybrid cloud demands across all environments. Further, we’ll see security and data protection become deeply integrated as part of hybrid cloud environments, notably where containers and Kubernetes continue to gain momentum for app development. Bolting security measures onto cloud infrastructure will be a non-starter…it’s got to be inherently built into the fiber of the overall data management strategy edge to core to cloud.

What you get is what you pay

One of the biggest hurdles for IT decision makers driving transformation is resources. CapEx and OpEx can often be limiting factors when trying to plan and predict for compute and consumption needs for the year ahead…never mind the next three-five years. SaaS and cloud consumption models have increased in adoption and popularity, providing organisations with the flexibility to pay for what they use, as they go.

In 2020, flexible consumption and as-a-service options will accelerate rapidly as organisations seize the opportunity to transform into software-defined and cloud-enabled IT. As a result – they’ll be able to choose the right economic model for their business to take advantage of end-to-end IT solutions that enable data mobility and visibility, and crunch even the most intensive AI and Machine Learning workloads when needed.

“The Edge” rapidly expands into the enterprise

The “Edge” continues to evolve – with many working hard to define exactly what it is and where it exists. Once limited to the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s hard to find any systems, applications, services – people and places – that aren’t connected. The edge is emerging in many places and it’s going to expand with enterprise organisations leading the way, delivering the IT infrastructure to support it.

5G connectivity is creating new use cases and possibilities for healthcare, financial services, education and industrial manufacturing. As a result, SD-WAN and software-defined networking solutions become a core thread of a holistic IT infrastructure solution – ensuring massive data workloads can travel at speed – securely – between edge, core and cloud environments. Open networking solutions will prevail over proprietary as organisations recognise the only way to successfully manage and secure data for the long haul requires the flexibility and agility that only open software defined networking can deliver.

Intelligent devices change the way you work and collaborate

PC innovation continues to push new boundaries every year – screens are more immersive and bigger than ever, yet the form factor becomes smaller and thinner. But more and more, it’s what is running at the heart of that PC that is more transformational than ever. Software applications that use AI and machine learning create systems that now know where and when to optimise power and compute based on your usage patterns. With biometrics, PCs know it’s you from the moment you gaze at the screen. And now, AI and machine learning applications are smart enough to give your system the ability to dial up the sound and colour based on the content you’re watching or the game you’re playing.

Over the next year, these advancements in AI and machine learning will turn our PCs into even smarter and more collaborative companions. They’ll have the ability to optimise power and battery life for our most productive moments – and even become self-sufficient machines that can self-heal and self-advocate for repair – reducing the burden on the user and of course, reducing the number of IT incidents filed. That’s a huge increase in happiness and productivity for both the end users and the IT groups that support them.

Innovating with integrity, sourcing sustainably

Sustainable innovation will continue to take center stage, as organisations like ours want to ensure the impact they have in the world doesn’t come with a dangerous one on the planet. Greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation will accelerate – hardware becomes smaller and more efficient and built with recycled and reclaimed goods – minimising eWaste and maximising already existing materials. At Dell Technologies, we met our Legacy of Good 2020 goals ahead of schedule – so we’ve retired them and set new goals for 2030 to recycle an equivalent product for every product a customer buys, lead the circular economy with more than half of all product content being made from recycled or renewable material, and use 100% recycled or renewable material in all packaging.

As we enter the Next Data Decade, I’m optimistic and excited about what the future holds. The steps our customers will take in the next year to get the most out of their data will set forth new breakthroughs in technology that everyone will experience in some way – whether it’s a more powerful device, faster medical treatment, more accessible education, less waste and cleaner air. And before we know it, we’ll be looking forward to what the following 10 years will have in store.

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Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for Multi-Cloud Data Protection

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At Dell Technologies Forum 2019, Dell Technologies announced their next-generation Data Domain protection storage appliances – the Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Appliance.

They also announced changes and improvements to Dell EMC Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Appliances, as well as Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect software updates.

The Need For Dell EMC PowerProtect DD

As businesses become more data-driven, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of data they create and retain.

According to Dell EMC, organisations in Asia Pacific and Japan manage an average of 8.13 petabytes of data in 2018 – a 384% increase over 2016.

All that data is vulnerable, even if they are stored in the cloud. That’s where Dell EMC comes in with their PowerProtect DD Series Appliances.

They are designed to protect a business’ data storage, with the ability to quickly restore their systems in times of disruption to ensure business continuity.

Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for Multi-Cloud Data Protection

The new PowerProtect DD appliances are the latest addition to the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio. Designed to offer data protection for multi-cloud workloads, PowerProtect DD offers :

Faster Performance

The PowerProtect DD appliances offer up to 38% faster backups, and up to 36% faster restores.

They can provide instant access and instant restores of up to 60,000 IOPS for up to 64 virtual machines, with support for 25 GbE and 100 GbE network speeds.

Greater Efficiency

PowerProtect DD can provide up to 1.25 PB of usable capacity in a single rack, with hardware-assisted compression to increase logical capacity by up to 30%.

Its small footprint also saves power and cooling requirements by up to 35%, increasing ROI for organisations.

Scalability

PowerProtect DD is scalable, with grow-in-place capacity expansion from 1 terabyte all the way to 1.25 petabytes.

Data Protection For Multi-Cloud Workloads

PowerProtect DD supports multiple public clouds, and can natively tier deduplicated data. It can also scale across on-premise and hybrid cloud environments.

Single Pane of Glass Management

Its PowerProtect DD Management Center allows for the aggregated management for multiple systems. Customers can monitor the health and status of all their appliances on-premise and in the cloud, as well as manage capacity and replications.

Improved Cyber Recovery + PowerProtect Software

Dell EMC also announced improvements to Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software :

Cyber Recovery now supports workloads protected with PowerProtect Software and stored on the new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances
Cyber Recovery can now automate restores from a secure and isolated vault, giving customers an additional layer of data protection
PowerProtect Software adds more integrated with VMware vSphere, offering simplified data protection management and self-service recovery
PowerProtect Software also now supports Dell EMC Cloud Disaster Recovery, allowing the automated disaster recovery of VMware workloads in the public cloud

Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Availability

The three new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances – PowerProtect DD6900, PowerProtect DD9400 and PowerProtect DD9900 – will be available globally 30 September 2019 onwards through Dell Technologies channel partners

Dell EMC Data Domain Virtual Edition and Dell EMC Data Domain DD3300, now branded Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Virtual Edition and Dell EMC PowerProtect DD3300, are available now

Enhancements to Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software are available globally, with immediate effect.

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Acronis True Image 2020 – Everything You Need To Know!

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Acronis True Image 2020 was just released, and it is the first personal data protection solution to automate the 3-2-1 backup rule!

Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about Acronis True Image 2020!

Acronis True Image 2020

Acronis True Image 2020 is the first major update since True Image 2018 was released two years ago.

With this release, Acronis believes it has successfully addresses all Five Vectors of Cyber Protection – ensuring the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity and security of the user’s data (SAPAS).

Like its predecessor, it combines data backup and recovery capabilities, with anti-malware technology. The new release though boasts more than 100 enhancements. Let’s take a look at some of them…

Dual Protection In True Image 2020

Acronis True Image 2020 is the first personal data protection solution to automate the 3-2-1 backup rule.

It will automatically replicate local backups into the cloud, so you will always have an off-site copy for recovery.

After you completed the first backup, the backup and replication process will henceforth occur simultaneously.

True Image 2020 Tray Notifications Center

Acronis True Image 2020 now pushes messages about your data to your desktop tray, so you can easily monitor the status of your backups.

In addition to alerting you to urgent issues that require your response, it will also send you tips on how to enhance your computer’s protection.

Back Up Only On Selected Wi-Fi Networks

You will now have greater control, including the ability to select which Wi-Fi network to transfer your back-ups.

This allows you to avoid costly metered connections, and insecure public networks that could put your data at risk.

Custom Power Management

You will also have control on when your backups will run while you are on battery power. You can :

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completely prevent backups whenever you are on battery power,
set a minimum power level for backups to run

Mac Power Nap Backups!

Acronis True Image 2020 will support Power Nap backups. Enable it, and your Mac will backup its data during its Power Nap.

In addition, any changes to your Mac’s data during its Power Nap will be captured in those backups too!

Acronis True Image 2020 Price + Availability

Acronis True Image 2020 is available in three versions, with immediate effect :

Standard Edition

This is a perpetual license designed for customers who store their data on local drives only.

It does not come with cloud storage or cloud-based features. However, you can make local backups of an unlimited number of mobile devices.

Pricing starts at $49.99 for one computer.

Advanced Edition

This is a one-year subscription that includes 250 GB of Acronis Cloud Storage, and access to all cloud-based features.

You will be able to make both local and cloud backups of an unlimited number of mobile devices.

Pricing starts at $49.99 per year for one computer.

Premium Edition

This is a one-year subscription that includes blockchain-based data certification and electronic signature capabilities, as well as 1 TB of Acronis Cloud Storage.

Pricing starts at $99.99 per year for one computer.

All versions include Acronis Active Protection – an AI-powered anti-malware protection, and covers an unlimited number of mobile devices.

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The 2019 Dell EMC Unity XT + PowerProtect Primer!

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One of big stories out of Dell Technologies World 2019 was about new Dell storage and data management solutions, like Unity XT and PowerProtect.

Here is our primer on the new Dell EMC Unity XT unified storage solutions, the Dell EMC PowerProtect data management platform, as well as updates on Isilon and more!

The 2019 Dell Storage + Data Management Solutions Revealed!

In the following 30-minute long video, we have top guns from Dell EMC to showcase the 2019 Dell storage and data management solutions :

Jeff Clarke (Vice Chairman, Dell Technologies),
John Roese (Dell Technologies President & Dell EMC Chief Technology Officer),
Craig Bernero (Senior Vice President, Dell EMC Midrange & Entry Storage),
Beth Phalen (President & General Manager of Dell EMC Data Protection), and
Chad Dunn (Vice President of Product Management, Dell EMC Hyperconverged Infrastructure)

The 2019 Dell EMC Unity XT

The next-generation Dell EMC Unity XT midrange storage system is up to 2X faster than its predecessor, and 67% faster than its nearest competitor.

Optimised for greater data efficiency with up to 5:1 data reduction and 85% system efficiency, the Unity XT is built for a multi-cloud world.

The new Unity XT can run in a public cloud, seamlessly move data to the cloud, and is available as a service through the new Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services. It can also be used as a building block for Dell Technologies Cloud, as part of a validated design.

Unity XT storage arrays use an active-active architecture, and is NVMe-ready. They are designed to simultaneously run applications, process file and block inline data reduction, while delivering operational data services.

Dell EMC Isilon Update

Dell EMC also announced a new Isilon release with greatly improved scalability, as well as enhanced cloud integration and security.

The new Isilon OneFS 8.2 provides up to 75% greater cluster scalability – up to 252 nodes, 58 PB of storage, and 945 GB/s of aggregate throughput per cluster!

Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services

To support enterprises looking to extend their on-premise infrastructure to public cloud, Dell Technologies is introducing the Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services.

The new Cloud Storage Services uses Dell EMC storage directly connected to the public cloud through a managed service provider, to give customers multi-cloud agility.

Furthermore, VMware customers can also leverage the automated disaster-recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) in VMware Cloud on AWS.

Dell EMC PowerProtect

Dell EMC also introduced their PowerProtect Software platform, and the Dell EMC PowerProtect X400 multi-dimensional appliance.

The Dell EMC PowerProtect Software platform delivers data protection, replication and reuse, as well as SaaS-based management and self-service capabilities. The data owner now has the autonomy to control backup and recovery operations.

VMware customers will benefit from a simple data management solution for their vSphere environments, with automated policy-based backup and recovery, as well as integration with vRealize Automation.

Available as a hybrid, or all-flash data management appliance, the Dell EMC PowerProtect X400 can scale-up with grow-in-place capacity expansion, and scale-out compute power and capacity.

It is also the first Dell EMC data management solution to leverage machine learning for intelligent load balancing.

Dell EMC Integrated Data Protection Appliance

For small- and medium-sized businesses looking for improved data protection in an integrated appliance, Dell EMC is offering the Dell EMC DP4400 Integrated Data Protection Appliance with 8 to 24 TB of storage.

The lower storage capacity version of IDPA DP4400 makes it ideal for smaller organisations. yet, it has the ability to grow-in-place up to 96 TB, with the purchase of licence keys and an upgrade kit.

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The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Updates Revealed!

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Dell has just announced details of the Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 server updates. Here is a quick primer on the newly-refreshed Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and OpenManage systems management.

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Updates

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers will come with new features like Openmanage FlexSelect Manage, and OpenManage FlexSelect Secure.

Both these features will provide greater flexibility in managing and securing the PowerEdge 2019 servers.

Greater Control

FlexSelect Manage offers customers new flexibility in selecting OpenManage Enterprise capabilities to streamline management efficiency.

Enhancements to the Redfish-compliant Dell EMC RESTful API and OpenManage Mobile also gives customers greater control of their server operations and devices.

Customers can reduce time by using fewer steps to maintain server health by 28%, compared to manually retrieving server logs.

Enhanced Security

OpenManage Secure Enterprise Key Manager Scale provides data protection and streamlines the management of self-encrypting drives.

Customers can centrally manage keys for self-encrypting drives to better secure data at both the drive and server level.

Improved Performance and Scalability

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers are powered by the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, increasing their performance by up to 40% for core business applications.

Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Availability

These new Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers and systems will be available beginning Q2 2019 :

Dell EMC OpenManage
Dell EMC PowerEdge R940, R740, R740xd, R740xd2, R640, and C6420 servers (with 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors)
Other Dell EMC PowerEdge servers like PowerEdge MX
Dell EMC Ready Solutions for HPC with Intel Deep Learning Boost

Also available in Q2 2019 is the Intel Optane DC persistent memory hands-on trials through a Dell EMC customer proof of concept program and Dell Technologies Customer Solution Centers.

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The 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index Summarised!

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The 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index is out! Here is a summary of its key findings!

The 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index

The 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index is the third survey conducted by Dell EMC in collaboration with Vanson Bourne.

The survey involved 2,200 IT decision makers from public and private organisations (of 250+ employees) across 18 countries and 11 industries. It was designed to reveal the state of data protection in the Asia Pacific and Japan region.

What Did The 2019 Data Protection Index Reveal?

The 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index revealed a large increase in the amount of data managed – from 1.68 petabytes in 2016 to a staggering 8.13 petabytes in 2018.

They also saw a corresponding increase in awareness about the value of data, with 90% of the respondents aware about the value of the data they manage. However, only 35% are monetising their data.

The Index also noted that despite an impressive jump in the number of data protection leaders (from 1% to 13%) and “adopters” (from 8% to 53%) since 2016, most of the survey respondents still face challenges in implementing the right data protection measures.

Organisations in Asia Pacific & Japan managed 8.13 PB of data in 2018 – an explosive growth of 384% compared to the 1.68 PB managed in 2016
90% of businesses see the potential value of data but only 35% are monetising it
94% face data protection challenges, and 43% struggle to find suitable data protection solutions for newer technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning
More than a third (34%) of respondents are very confident that their data protection infrastructure is compliant with regional regulations, but only 18% believe their data protection solutions will meet all future challenges

The State Of Data Protection In APJ

Data disruptions and data loss happen more frequently in APJ organisations, than the global average. Some 80% of the APJ respondents reported experiencing some type of disruption over the last 12 months.

This is higher than the global average of 76%. Even worse – 32% were unable to recover their data using existing data protection solutions.

Although system downtime is a problem, the loss of data is particularly expensive. On average, 20 hours of downtime cost businesses US$ 494,869. The average data loss of 2.04 terabytes, on the other hand, costs nearly twice as much at US$ 939,703.

Challenges To Data Protection In APJ

The vast majority of respondents (some 94%) report that they encounter at least one barrier to data protection. The top three challenges in APJ was determined to be :

The inability to keep track of and protect all data because of growth of DevOps and cloud development – 46% agree
The complexity of configuring and operating data protection software/hardware – 45.6% agree
The lack of data protection solutions for emerging technologies– 43.4% agree

They also struggled to find adequate data protection solutions for newer technologies :

Artificial intelligence and machine learning data – 54% agree
Cloud-native applications – 49% agree
Internet of Things – 40% agree

Cloud Is Changing The Data Protection Landscape

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According to the 2019 Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index, organisations have increase their use of public cloud services – up from 27% in 2016 to 41% in 2018.

Nearly all of those organisations (99%) using public cloud, are leveraging it as part of their data protection strategy. The top use case – backup or snapshot services to protect data and workloads.

More than 60% of the respondents also consider the scalability of data protection solutions important, in anticipation of the inevitable boom of cloud workloads.

Regulation Is Not A Key Concern

Compliance with data privacy regulations like the UE’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is not a key concern for most of these organisations. Only 36% listed it as a top data protection challenge.

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FB Messenger, Instagram + WhatsApp Integration Clarified!

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Since the story broke about the Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp integration plan, the world exploded in a mixture of shock, apoplexy, and righteous indignation.

Take a DEEP BREATH and CALM DOWN. Let us tell you exactly what the FB Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp integration plan is really about, and what it really means for Facebook and all of us…

The FB Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp Integration Plan Clarified!

What Is Going On?

The New York Times broke the story on 25 January 2019, that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is working to integrate the messaging services that power Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Essentially, he wants all three platforms to use the same messaging platform or protocol to communicate.

Are The Three Apps Being Merged?

NO.

Some reports (looking at your, Forbes and BBC!) have claimed that WhatsApp is merging with Facebook Messenger and Instagram, or that WhatsApp and Instagram will be integrated with Facebook Messenger. That is NOT TRUE.

Facebook is not going to combine all three apps into a single mega-app – the one app to rule them all. WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger will continue to be separate apps.

What Exactly Has Changed?

NOTHING at the moment. This FB Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp integration project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, or early 2020.

Until the new unified messaging protocol is complete and implemented in all three apps, nothing will change. At the moment, all three apps continue to use their existing messaging protocols.

What We Know About The Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp Integration Plan So Far

Let’s enumerate what we know about the FB Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp integration plan :

All three apps will still function independently
All three apps will use the same messaging protocol
The new unified messaging protocol will support end-to-end encryption

Why Does Facebook Want To Do This?

Migrating all three apps to a unified messaging protocol or platform has some real advantages for Facebook :

far less work is needed to maintain a single platform or set of protocols, than three different platforms or sets of protocols
it will extend the reach of their three apps, helping to “encourage” users of one app to use the other two apps.
it will make it easier for them to harvest more information, to create more accurate user profiles.
it should make it easier to introduce or extend new features into all three apps, e.g. time-limited Stories.

Is This Good Or Bad For Users?

There are some potential advantages for users…

users of any one of those three apps will be able to communicate with each other, without installing the other apps.
users of any one of those three apps will be able to share data (photos, videos, files, etc.) with each other, without installing the other apps.
it will introduce end-to-end encryption to Instagram, which does not yet support it.
potentially, it could mean end-to-end encryption will be enabled by default for Facebook Messenger (which currently only supports end-to-end encryption if you turn on Secret Conversations).
it could promote greater accountability and transparency, with a reduction in fake accounts and profiles.

On the other hand, the tighter integration has some serious potential ramifications…

it will be harder to obfuscate or separate your profile in one app, from your profiles in the other two apps.
any bug or vulnerability in the unified messaging protocol will affect all three apps.
any successful attack will cause far greater damage, with far more data lost or stolen.
it does not address serious privacy concerns – even if end-to-end encryption is enabled by default for all three apps in the new unified messaging protocol, the metadata isn’t.
it may make it more difficult for users to consider alternative apps or services.
abusing one app (intentional or otherwise) could get you banned or blocked on all three apps.

How Serious Are These Concerns?

The New York Times reported that Mark Zuckerberg’s “championing” of the FB Messenger + Instagram + WhatsApp integration plan led to “internal strife” over privacy concerns. How bad?

Apparently, it led to the founders of both Instagram (Kevin System and Mike Krieger) and WhatsApp (Jan Koum and Brian Acton) leaving Facebook. Dozens of WhatsApp employees also clashed with Mark Zuckerberg over this integration plan.

But Don’t Panic Just Yet…

There is no need to be one of those headless chickens running around, screaming that the world has ended or is about to end. The WhatsApp Messenger you have come to rely on has not changed, or will change for many more months to come.

The project is still in its infancy. Facebook is internally planning to complete the project by the end of 2019, and probably early 2020. There is still the better part of the year to consider alternative messaging apps out there.

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First Kaspersky Transparency Center Launched In Zurich!

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Kaspersky Lab just launched their first Data Processing and Transparency Center in Zurich. This is part of their Global Transparency Initiative that we covered a while back.

Let’s take a look, and find out what this means for Kaspersky Lab and global cybersecurity!

The First Kaspersky Transparency Center

Malicious and suspicious files shared by users of Kaspersky Lab products in Europe will be processed in Kaspersky Lab data processing centers in Zurich, the first part of a relocation commitment made by the company in late 2017 under its Global Transparency Initiative.

The move reflects Kaspersky Lab’s determination to assure the integrity and trustworthiness of its products and the data processing center is accompanied by the opening of the company’s first Transparency Center in Zurich.

The relocation of Kaspersky Lab data processing is part of a major infrastructure move designed to increase the resilience of the company’s IT infrastructure to risks of data breaches and supply-chain attacks. It also further proves the trustworthiness of its products, services and internal processes.

Threat-Related Data and Malicious Files

From November 13, threat-related data coming from European users will start to be processed in two datacenters. These provide world-class facilities in compliance with industry standards to ensure the highest levels of security.

The data, which users have actively chosen to share with Kaspersky Lab, includes suspicious or previously unknown malicious files and corresponding meta-data that the company’s products send to Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) for automated malware analysis.

Files comprise only part of the data processed by Kaspersky Lab technologies, yet the most important one. Protection of customers’ data, together with the safety and integrity of infrastructure is a top priority for Kaspersky Lab, and that is why the file processing relocation comes first and is expected to be fully accomplished by the end of 2019.

The relocation of other types of data processed by Kaspersky Lab products, consisting of several kinds of anonymized threat and usage statistics, is planned to be conducted during later phases of the Global Transparency Initiative.

Kaspersky Lab’s First Transparency Center

The opening of Kaspersky Lab’s first Transparency Center in Zurich enables authorized partners to access reviews of the company’s code, software updates and threat detection rules, along with other activities.

Kaspersky Lab will provide governments and partners with information on its products and their security, including essential and important technical documentation, for external evaluation in a secure environment.

These developments will be followed by the relocation of data processing for other regions and, in phase two, the move of Kaspersky’s Lab’s software assembly to Zurich.

Kaspersky Lab’s Choice of Location in Zurich, Switzerland

Switzerland is a top location in terms of the number of secure internet servers available and is known as an innovative center for data processing and high quality IT infrastructure. A non-EU member in the heart of Europe, Switzerland has established its own data privacy regulation that is guaranteed by the state’s constitution and federal laws. There are strict regulations on processing data requests received from authorities.

“Transparency is becoming the new normal for the IT industry– and for the cybersecurity industry in particular. We are proud to be on the front line of this process. As a technological company, we are focused on ensuring the best IT infrastructure for the security of our products and data, and the relocation of key parts of our infrastructure to Switzerland places them in one of the most secure locations in the world.

The promises made in our Global Transparency Initiative are coming to fruition, enhancing the resilience and visibility of our products. Through the new Transparency Center also in Switzerland, trusted partners and governments will be able to see external reviews of our products and make up their own minds. We believe that steps such as these are just the beginning – for the company and for the security industry as a whole. The need to prove trustworthiness will soon become an industry standard.” Eugene Kaspersky, CEO Kaspersky Lab said.

Kaspersky Lab’s Next Big Step

Kaspersky Lab has engaged one of the Big Four professional services firms to conduct an audit of the company’s engineering practices around the creation and distribution of threat detection rule databases. This is done with the goal of independently confirming their accordance with the highest industry security practices.

The assessment will be done under the SSAE 18 standard (Statement of Standards for Attestation Engagements). The scope of the assessment includes regular automatic updates of antivirus records which are created and distributed by Kaspersky Lab for its products operating on Windows and Unix Servers. The company is planning the assessment under SSAE 18 with the issue of the SOC 2 (The Service and Organization Controls) report for the second quarter 2019 as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the security of its products with the help of a community of security enthusiasts from all over the world.

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Kingston IronKey D300S Encrypted USB Drive Launched!

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Kingston Technology just introduced an improved version of their D300 encrypted USB drive – the Kingston IronKey D300S. Find out what’s new and improved in the Kingston D300S encrypted USB drive!

The Kingston IronKey D300S Encrypted USB Drive Launched!

The new Kingston IronKey D300S encrypted USB drive introduces two new features to enhance its advanced level of security and ability to safeguard sensitive data.

Serialised Drive

IronKey D300S will have a unique serial number and bar code on the drive itself that allows network administrators to read or scan the code instead of plugging it into the drive.

When a drive is deployed, returned or during any physical auditing or asset management of hardware, this feature will make the process more efficient and streamlined.

Virtual Keyboard

The second feature, a virtual keyboard will enable users to enter a password with clicks of the mouse instead of a physical keyboard. It provides a greater level of protection against any possible keylogging when using D300S on other computers.

“We’re not content on standing pat with any of our products, no matter how good they are,” said Kingston “The data protection provided by IronKey D300 is already top notch, and we’ve listened to requests from our customers. These two enhancements in the D300 series add to its industry-leading data-protection capabilities. With Kingston’s 30-plus years of expertise in quality technology solutions behind it, along with the latest NAND Flash memory and controller technology, users of any D300 drive can rest assure that their confidential data and information are well protected from the risks and threats associated with loss, theft, or stolen digital devices.”

Kingston IronKey D300S Price + Availability

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The new Kingston IronKey D300S drives will also be available as a Managed model (D300SM) that requires IronKey EMS or SafeConsole by DataLocker , allowing central management of drive access and usage across thousands of drives.

This will be the first IronKey drive that will be supported on SafeConsole, thus enabling it to be used by customers who already have it installed.

IronKey D300SM will be available in the first quarter of 2019.

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New 2018 MaxisONE Prime Offers Unlimited Data for Families!

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Maxis just introduced a new 2018 MaxisONE Prime that offers unlimited data for families! Find out more about this new Maxis plan here, and find out what advantages it offers to families!

New 2018 MaxisONE Prime For Families!

The new 2018 MaxisONE Prime now comes with unlimited data for both mobile and home fibre broadband, enabling families to choose a combination of any MaxisONE Plan (MOP) starting from RM 98 a month and any home fibre plan from just RM 89 a month.

“The reality of today’s digital lifestyles especially amongst families is that they are demanding for more choices and freedom to access content through the Internet, whenever they want and wherever they are. Our latest MaxisONE Prime, which follows the immensely successful Fibrenation campaign with our most affordable and worry-free fibre broadband plans, means that unlimited Internet is available for every person in the family at affordable prices and faster speeds. This also demonstrates our leadership in converged offerings, with both fixed and mobile connectivity solutions available to even more Malaysians,” said Arjun Varma, Maxis’ Head of Postpaid.

What Families Can Enjoy With The New 2018 MaxisONE Prime

Choice of any MaxisONE Plan and fibre plan – Previously only available for MOP 188, the refreshed MaxisONE Prime now allows families to choose from any MOP (98 and above) or home fibre plan (RM89 and above) depending on their needs.
Unlimited home and mobile Internet – No matter what combination of plans you choose, family members get unlimited data on their mobile and home broadband. Share lines, which are currently priced at RM48 per line, will also enjoy the unlimited data.
Zero downtime high speed fibre – Customers can confidently rely on home Internet that is always connected. If their high speed fibre connection ever gets disrupted, their home router will automatically connect to a 4G wireless backup, ensuring continuous home Internet connectivity.
Latest home and mobile devices – Choose from an expanded range of devices for the home on Zerolution or mobile on Zerolution360, which offers total device protection and yearly phone upgrades.
FamilyRoam – Free unlimited data, calls and SMS to any ASEAN country, for all family lines, when one family member activates the MaxisONE World pass for RM38 a day.
One Maxperts team – Our dedicated team of Internet experts to help with home WiFi setup and optimisation as well as device setup.

For a limited time only, MaxisONE Prime customers will also enjoy up to 50% off on a wide range of high-end devices and more on Zerolution360, when they sign up for MOP 128 and above, together with a new Share Line.

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Facebook Privacy Tools Are Now Easier To Find. Yay?

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Facebook has been doing a belated job of closing the barn door after the horses have bolted out and rampaged through the village. Now they officially announced that Facebook privacy tools are “easier to find”. Yay for transparency?

Read the official Facebook press release on making privacy tools easier to find… and tell us what you think!

Facebook Privacy Tools Now Easier To Find

By Erin Egan, VP and Chief Privacy Officer, Policy and Ashlie Beringer, VP and Deputy General Counsel

Last week showed how much more work we need to do to enforce our policies and help people understand how Facebook works and the choices they have over their data. We’ve heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important tools are too hard to find and that we must do more to keep people informed.

So in addition to Mark Zuckerberg’s announcements last week – cracking down on abuse of the Facebook platform, strengthening our policies, and making it easier for people to revoke apps’ ability to use your data – we’re taking additional steps in the coming weeks to put people more in control of their privacy.

Most of these updates have been in the works for some time, but the events of the past several days underscore their importance.

Making Data Settings and Tools Easier to Find

Controls that are easier to find and use. We’ve redesigned our entire settings menu on mobile devices from top to bottom to make things easier to find. Instead of having settings spread across nearly 20 different screens, they’re now accessible from a single place. We’ve also cleaned up outdated settings so it’s clear what information can and can’t be shared with apps.

New Privacy Shortcuts menu. People have also told us that information about privacy, security, and ads should be much easier to find. The new Privacy Shortcuts is a menu where you can control your data in just a few taps, with clearer explanations of how our controls work. The experience is now clearer, more visual, and easy-to-find. From here you can:

Make your account more secure: You can add more layers of protection to your account, like two-factor authentication. If you turn this on and someone tries to log into your account from a device we don’t recognise, you’ll be asked to confirm whether it was you.

Control your personal information: You can review what you’ve shared and delete it if you want to. This includes posts you’ve shared or reacted to, friend requests you’ve sent, and things you’ve searched for on Facebook.

Control the ads you see: You can manage the information we use to show you ads. Ad preferences explains how ads work and the options you have.

Manage who sees your posts and profile information: You own what you share on Facebook, and you can manage things like who sees your posts and the information you choose to include on your profile.

Tools to find, download and delete your Facebook data.

It’s one thing to have a policy explaining what data we collect and use, but it’s even more useful when people see and manage their own information. Some people want to delete things they’ve shared in the past, while others are just curious about the information Facebook has.

So we’re introducing Access Your Information – a secure way for people to access and manage their information, such as posts, reactions, comments, and things you’ve searched for. You can go here to delete anything from your timeline or profile that you no longer want on Facebook.

We’re also making it easier to download the data you’ve shared with Facebook – it’s your data, after all. You can download a secure copy and even move it to another service. This includes photos you’ve uploaded, contacts you’ve added to your account, posts on your timeline, and more.

The Road Ahead

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It’s also our responsibility to tell you how we collect and use your data in language that’s detailed, but also easy to understand. In the coming weeks, we’ll be proposing updates to Facebook’s terms of service that include our commitments to people.

We’ll also update our data policy to better spell out what data we collect and how we use it. These updates are about transparency – not about gaining new rights to collect, use, or share data.

We’ve worked with regulators, legislators and privacy experts on these tools and updates. We’ll have more to share in the coming weeks, including updates on the measures Mark shared last week.

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Tune Talk Madness Top Up Promotion

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11 APRIL 2016, KUALA LUMPUR – Tune Talk today announced the new “Tune Talk Madness Top Up promotion” as to answer the demands of the company’s current and potential subscribers, who are always hungry for more data.

The company is about putting the subscribers first and we strive to give them the best deal in town and all that needs to be done now, is to top up and immediately be rewarded with free data. Good news to all subscribers who has downloaded the Tune Talk mobile app, extra privileges are coming your way. We are encouraging our users to download our app as it is in line with our mission to make our mobile app as a platform for us to spread the latest news!

The company does not mind being labelled crazy because of the amount of free data given, but the insanity is needed, to satisfy the hunger for data of our beloved subscribers. The madness behind the new top up promotion shall once again change the ecosystem of the business in Malaysia. Data is the new currency and Tune Talk is a firm believer that is will shape the future of communications and businesses.

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Additional to the extra data given, Tune Talk has also revised the amount of BIG Points given when a subscriber tops up. Tune Talk has introduced the points system since day one of its operation as part of our effort to give back to the loyal subscribers. This point system is called BIG Points as it is a collaboration with our sister company AirAsiaBIG.

The points collected will able our subscribers to enjoy more benefits converting the points into goodies such as free AirAsia flight ticket, concert or movie tickets, devices and lots more.

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