PC & IT 02 (Nov 08 - Mar 10)

[millionairemind]

July 15, 2009
MS Office users attacked

BOSTON - MICROSOFT Corp warned that cybercriminals have attacked users of its Office software for Windows PCs, exploiting a programming flaw that the software giant has yet to repair.

The world's largest software maker issued the warning on Tuesday as it released patches to address nine other security holes in its software.

'Despite today's fixes, Windows users continue to be under attack. Microsoft is taking two steps forward, while attackers are putting it one step back,' said Mr Dave Marcus, McAfee Inc's Avert Labs director of security research.

Cybercriminals target Microsoft programs because they are so widely used, allowing them to go after the largest number of potential victims with one set of code. (Windows runs more than 90 percent of the world's PCs. Office has some 500 million users).

Hackers take advantage of the Office vulnerability by booby-trapping websites with malicious code that loads onto computers running Office software. Infected PCs are commandeered into a botnet, a network of hijacked computers.

They are used for identity theft, spamming and other cybercrimes.

Microsoft did not say how many machines were attacked.

Users can prevent attacks by disabling functions within the Office software that allow it to work over the Web. Microsoft has posted a tool for doing that on its website. -- REUTERS

[iam802]

just wonder..will company pay hackers to hack on older versions of their OS...and then launch a marketing campaign to promote their new and more secure OS?

maybe it should go into conspiracy theories.

TCSS.

[winston]

Or hack into fakes..

[millionairemind]

July 16, 2009
Q2 PC shipments improve

SAN FRANCISCO - GLOBAL shipments of personal computers fell less than expected in the second quarter, according to data released on Wednesday, underscoring optimism sparked by Intel Corp's results.

Taiwan's Acer Inc continued to gain on Dell Inc, which recovered its top US ranking but ceded market share to its rivals elsewhere, industry tracker IDC said.

Worldwide PC shipments fell about 3 per cent from the year-ago quarter, which was better than its forecast of a more than 6 per cent drop, IDC said.

Gartner, which also tracks such numbers, estimated second-quarter PC shipments slid 5 per cent year on year, compared with an expected decline of nearly 10 percent.

Intel, whose microprocessors are found in more than three-quarters of the world's PCs, reported second-quarter results ahead of Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, fueling hopes of a recovery in the beaten-down PC sector.

'The better than expected results can be interpreted as a small sign of a PC market recovery in terms of shipment volumes in some regions,' Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said in a statement. 'When we finished the first quarter ..., there was some doubt about whether shipments had been based on inventory replenishment or whether this really was the bottom,' IDC analyst Loren Loverde said.

'The growth was broad-based across regions. Essentially all regions did better than expected, so that's very positive.' Mr Loverde said PC shipments could show growth by the fourth quarter, thanks to strength in notebook PCs. 'It's also good in the sense that there's additional potential as the commercial market recovers,' he said.

Whether the consumer market remains the primary driver in coming quarters or corporate spending returns, could have significant impact on PC maker rankings, analysts said.

Dell, whose business is concentrated in the enterprise market, managed to hold on to its No 2 ranking in the second quarter with a market share of 13.7 per cent, but suffered a massive 17.1 per cent year-on-year decline in shipments, according to IDC.

Many had speculated that Acer, which has ridden strong netbook sales, would overtake its US rival. Analysts on Tuesday quizzed chief executive Michael Dell about the implications of such an upset. -- REUTERS

[kennynah]

have u guys ever downloaded this "movie" player : QVOD ??

i wish to find out if there's been any "side effects" from this download.... thanks..

[winston]

It's Fun to Know: Desktops vs. Laptops

A recent report from industry watcher iSuppli showed that overall computer sales are down 8 percent from last year. But when viewed separately, sales of laptops grew 10 percent over last year, while desktop sales dropped 23 percent.

This is simply the continuation of a longtime trend. Laptops currently account for 80 percent of computer sales in the United States.

(Source: Gizmodo)

[winston]

Online privacy concerns arise as website lists personal data By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia

Online privacy concerns arise as website lists individuals' home addresses

SINGAPORE: Here's something to think about in this digital world. How much of your personal data is available online, without your knowledge?

Authorities say while there is currently no law on online privacy in general, common law rules protect the confidentiality of an individual's personal data.

When engineer Chua Kim Cheng saw the "People Search" function at the Red Nano website, he decided to test it out. He typed in his name and was shocked to see his particulars and address listed. Full addresses of others living in the same housing block as him were also listed.

Mr Chua said he did not give any consent to SPH Search, which runs the Red Nano website, to list his personal details in the public domain. He said: "Imagine anybody can target the whole block and they can search the whole block, so it's even more sensitive this way. It would be very useful for marketing people... even loansharks would be interested to know.

"Anybody can send a mail to me or come to my house... (and say), 'Is Mr Chua in?' You would think that's a friendly person, could be a friend or relative coming, anybody will open the door."

SPH Search said its data sources are proprietary to the company and it is not at liberty to disclose information on it. Its "People Search" section is an opportunity for the public to extend their visibility, socially or professionally, on the Internet.

Red Nano has since taken down Mr Chua's particulars but there are many more names listed on the site.

Responding to Channel NewsAsia's queries, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) said there is a Model Data Protection Code in Singapore. But this is for voluntary adoption by the private sector.

It added: "The Model Code provides broad guidelines and principles on the proper management of personal information and it has been adopted by many companies, including those engaged in e-commerce under the TrustSG initiative."

Under the code, personal data may include an individual's name, age, medical records, spending habits, home address and phone number. The ministry said a company would be breaching common laws covering privacy if it did not get the individual's consent to make public his or her personal particulars.

The Media Development Authority gave this advice to online users: "We advise aggrieved individuals to seek professional legal advice to determine the most appropriate legal recourse. Individuals may also wish to contact the website directly for assistance in removing the information."

An inter-ministerial agency is currently reviewing Singapore's data protection regime to better safeguard the privacy of online users.

There is currently no established uniformed approach to deal with data protection and the committee is looking at various examples in countries like the US and Canada. The committee is made up of agencies such as the Trade and Industry and the Home Affairs ministries.

Experts said current laws lack punitive action and clearer guidelines are needed.

Tan Wei Ming, senior manager for government relations at Symantec Asia Pacific, said: "Nowadays, with the Internet age and with information stored everywhere, you could easily find your information floating around on the Internet and sometimes without yourself realising it!

"There are many reasons for that. For example, when you go to a social networking site, do you or do you not set the right privacy safeguards for your data? For example, you go to Facebook or other networking sites, they allow you to list down what you can and cannot be shared in the public domain," he added.

Mr Tan noted that many other websites are also posting personal details of individuals. He added areas that need to be addressed in the new regime include: what constitutes consent, what happens when data is collected, what the data will be used for, how it will be transferred and what needs to be done if data breaches occur.

- CNA/ir

[kennynah]

i guess...they must have removed Chua Kim Cheng's name from SPH RedNano...cos, i cant find there anymore...

but i agree...SPH damn KNN.. opening publish people's address...duno whether participants agreed or not?

[winston]

Asia web connections set to resume by end of Thursday

TAIPEI, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Up to 90 percent of all voice call and Internet services from parts of East Asia that were disrupted after Typhoon Morakot damaged undersea cables will resume by the end of Thursday, a senior Chunghwa Telecom official said.

Many web users in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines experienced slow Internet connections this week as undersea landslides damaged cables connecting them to websites hosted in the United States.

Full repair work on the damaged cables will only be completed in about two months, and Chunghwa is working with other affected telecommunications companies in the region to use alternative routes to restore connectivity.

Chunghwa Telecom <2412.TW>, a former state-owned monopoly and Taiwan's largest telecoms company, shares the undersea cables with other operators in East Asia.

"We see that most Internet and voice connections should be back to near-normal levels by the end of Thursday," said T.F.

Leng, president of Chunghwa's International Business Group.

"The typhoon didn't destroy the cables all in one go, which would have led to a sudden outage of services. It slowly destroyed some of the cables, which is why it took a few days before some users were affected." The cost of repairing the cables will be shared among various telecoms companies, and Chunghwa Telecom's share of the costs should not exceed T$3 million ($91,240), Leng said, declining to name the other companies involved.

The last time Internet users in East Asia experienced an Internet outage as a result of a natural disaster was in 2006, when an earthquake off the coast of Taiwan damaged undersea cables.

[millionairemind]

Nov 11, 2009
Facebook groups hijacked

SAN FRANCISCO - ACTIVISTS claimed on Tuesday to have seized control of nearly 300 Facebook community groups in a self-proclaimed effort to expose how vulnerable online reputations are to tampering.

A contingent that identified itself as Control Your Info (CYI) claimed credit for commandeering 289 Facebook Groups, saying it was simple to get into poorly protected administrative settings at the website.

'This is just one example that really shows the vulnerabilities of social media,' said a blog post at controlyour.info. 'If you chose to express yourself on the Internet, make sure the expressions are your own and not a spammers. This isn't some kind of scare tactic, nor is it a hack, it's a feature that can be used, and is being used, in bad ways.'

CYI claimed its motives were pure and that the move was more of a 'take-over' than a computer hack of Facebook groups.

Facebook Groups are themed chat venues that users of the social networking service can join to socialise online with people who share interests.

'Facebook Groups suffer from a major flaw,' said a message on the CYI blog. 'If an administrator of a group leaves, anyone can register as a new admin. So, in order to take control of a Facebook group, all you really have to do is a quick search on Google.' Once CYI accessed groups as administrators it had authority to change anything, including pictures, descriptions and settings. -- REUTERS