3/16/11
3/15/11
3/14/11
3/7/11
WordPress Attacked
WordPress.com, a blog publishing platform, was recently a target of a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS). Founder Matt Mullenweg disclosed to TechCrunch that the attacks started Thursday, and lasted until Friday. Normal operations in WordPress came back just this Sunday.
Basically, a DDoS attack is an attempt to disable a computer resource from functioning for its intended users. It is usually done by overwhelming a website with so much data, which results to slowing the website, or making it totally unavailable. These attacks were deemed by WordPress as the largest in its six years of existence.
Furthermore, WordPress identified that 98% of the attacks from Thursday to Friday originated from China, and that it was politically motivated. The Chinese responded that “The allegation that China supports hacking is groundless.”
3/3/11
Morgan Stanley, Victim of “Operation Aurora”
Recent developments revealed that Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm, was hit by the infamous “Aurora” hackers of 2009. The details of said hack were disclosed through leaked HBGary emails.
Operation Aurora gained notoriety when Google publicly announced last January 2010 that it had been a victim of cyber attack, and disclosed that the attacks originated in China. Other researchers inferred from the sophistication of the attack that the Chinese government may have sanctioned, or even masterminded the operation.
Morgan Stanley and Google are not the only ones breached by these hackers. At least 20 more companies have been identified as targets of Operation Aurora. In regards to these findings, the US government is requesting China for a formal explanation.
2/28/11
Escalation of Cybercrime
The Internet has undoubtedly become an integral part of the office. But the problem is that if we can access information from another computer, a different computer can also access information from ours. Of course IT companies are aware of this which is the reason why computer software and systems are continually evolving to prevent data theft; but cybercrimes are also escalating, threatening millions, or even billions of dollars in damages.
In line with this, Trend Micro recently disclosed that cybercriminals are becoming organized and have formed alliances to reach crimes of unprecedented scope when working alone. They also state that “It just shows that there is always a market for sensitive information. There’s a trend where the information-gathering efforts by criminals are targeting high-profile entities rather than going en masse.”
Philippines make for an attractive prey for cyber attacks because of the emergence of online banking, the flourishing BPO industry, the active participation in social networking sites (Facebook subscribers in the Philippines is 22 million strong), and the absence of a government branch directly addressing these type of crimes. Hopefully, the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PHCERT) will get full backing from the government and become an organization not unlike CERTs in other countries.
Cybercriminals hide their hacking tools in the guise of “common and otherwise harmless internet activities.” Activities like clicking an unassuming link to a news article. Once they have access to your files, they can obtain personal information, credit card numbers, or any sensitive files which could lead to monetary gain in their part but millions worth of damages in yours.
Filipinos need to be aware of these types of attacks and should learn how to defend themselves from it. Solutions can range from limiting web browsing activities, to encryption of sensitive files. It is better to implement these solutions now and prevent potential damages, than to wait for a disaster before acting upon it.
2/1/11
Data breach, a serious threat on our right to privacy
Data breach is a very serious problem. Large corporations know that its plain good business to secure information. But what about average guys like us? We still need to secure our files. We should all enjoy our right to privacy! And with all the identity theft going on out there, there really is a need to secure our data.
Some laptops have security measures like fingerprint analysis or facial recognition, but the problem is that once you share your computer or have it repaired, you would still have to give full access to the other user. What you need is something that can secure your sensitive files but still give access to your other data.
Finally! An amazingly simple and very effective solution to your data security is here in the Philippines. Easysafe is the only computer data encryption hardware in the market today. It is surprisingly simple to use; works just like a key! Just insert Easysafe key in the USB port then type in your password, and a secret drive will appear where you can store all your sensitive files. Remove Easysafe key, and the secret drive disappears, your files are safe from prying eyes. Brilliant! What's great about this is that it uses military-standard encryption algorithm, so rest assure that your files are well-guarded.
Easysafe can be used to secure files in your laptop, external hard drives, thumb drives, and other data storage devices. One Easysafe key can be used in different computers, and different Easysafe keys can be used in one computer. Easysafe comes with two water-resistant keys with the same encryption code. Just like other keys, you always get a spare! Easysafe truly is a product for everyone. It would also make for a perfect corporate gift! Easysafe is available in National Bookstore branches around the Metro.
Some laptops have security measures like fingerprint analysis or facial recognition, but the problem is that once you share your computer or have it repaired, you would still have to give full access to the other user. What you need is something that can secure your sensitive files but still give access to your other data.
Finally! An amazingly simple and very effective solution to your data security is here in the Philippines. Easysafe is the only computer data encryption hardware in the market today. It is surprisingly simple to use; works just like a key! Just insert Easysafe key in the USB port then type in your password, and a secret drive will appear where you can store all your sensitive files. Remove Easysafe key, and the secret drive disappears, your files are safe from prying eyes. Brilliant! What's great about this is that it uses military-standard encryption algorithm, so rest assure that your files are well-guarded. Easysafe can be used to secure files in your laptop, external hard drives, thumb drives, and other data storage devices. One Easysafe key can be used in different computers, and different Easysafe keys can be used in one computer. Easysafe comes with two water-resistant keys with the same encryption code. Just like other keys, you always get a spare! Easysafe truly is a product for everyone. It would also make for a perfect corporate gift! Easysafe is available in National Bookstore branches around the Metro.
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