cybercrime!

According to this article by PCWORLD>ABOUT.COM, Singapore is relatively IP safe!
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" low broadband growth rate coupled with a lower level of pirated software use compared to the rest of the region appear to be key factors behind Singapore's positive showing in a recently released Internet security threat report, which covered the first six months of this year. "


-this study was carried out by security software provider Symantec Inc., the Symantec Asia Pacific and Japan Internet Security Threat Report provides a six-month update of Internet threat activity within the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region.

-Countries surveyed were Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The report includes analysis of network-based attacks, a review of known vulnerabilities, and highlights of malicious code.

-The report ranked Singapore seventh out of 10 for malicious bot-infected countries across APJ, accounting for 1 per cent of the total number of bot-infected computers in the region. China topped the charts with 78 per cent of the total. Malicious bots are software applications that run automated tasks which can be used to commit fraudulent activity, such as spam and denial-of-service attacks on networked computers.

apparently, the statement given was that Singapore has a more mature broadband market, and therefore sees lower broadband penetration growth rates. Due to greater education efforts and user awareness, broadband users may also be more aware of security issues, such as bots, and may be more capable of adequately securing their computers against such threats may also be catching up to security requirements and adopting a more active approach to tackling the problem of bot infections.
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Lower Piracy Level

Yet another factor behind Singapore's positive showing in the Symantec report could be its lower level of software piracy compared to the rest of the region. A joint study conducted by the Business Software Alliance and research firm IDC which tracked piracy of all packaged software running on personal computers in the region for the year 2006 showed Singapore to have the fourth lowest rate of software piracy in the APJ region at 39 per cent, down from 43 per cent in 2003. This figure was significantly lower than China's score of 82 per cent and the regional average of 55 per cent.

"Singapore's declining piracy rate--39 per cent in 2006--would mean that more software packages are eligible for security patches and upgrades and that would decrease the vulnerability to bot infections, as compared to China's high piracy rate of 82 per cent in 2006," said Venu Reddy, senior consulting manager, IDC Asia/Pacific consulting research.

"Pirated software is often unable to receive updates and consequently may be more vulnerable to successful exploitation. Because many bots use these types of vulnerabilities to propagate, countries with higher piracy rates will likely have a higher percentage of bot infections compared to countries with lower piracy rates," said Hor.


MORAL OF STORY: NEVER PURCHASE PIRACY CD PROGRAMS!!! DON'T BE A CHEAPO!!!

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microsoft home visit here for info. to protect yourself against PHISHING ( pronounced as "fishing").

microsoft webpage provides almost all the prevention advices for most cyber worries:
1) viruses
2) spyware
3) spam mail
4) frauds
5) phishing
6) identity theft
7) hackers
8) worms
9) updates
etc.

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HACKERSSSSS!!!! -screams-

a little thrill here and there. NOT SO serious cheapthrill for those egoists. you get this:

Couple swarmed by SWAT team after 911 'hack'.
A Washington State teenager is facing 18 years in prison on charges that he used his PC to access Orange County, California's 911 emergency response system and convinced the sheriff's department into storming an area couple's home with a heavily armed SWAT team.

Couple-swarmed-by-SWAT-team <--read more here.



a n d .... something more serious and interesting:



Hackers at Microsoft?! Now wait a minute ...For the record, there are hackers at Microsoft. Just don't call them hackers.

In August, a blogger using the handle "Techjunkie" started a Microsoft Developer Network blog called Hackers @ Microsoft that, he claimed, would introduce the world to some of the ethical "white hat" hackers working there.

White hat hackers are security professionals who use many of the same techniques as the bad guys, but who learn how to break into systems for research purposes only.

Hackers-at-Microsoft-Now <--read more here!


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i learnt from the lesson:

1) continue my daily scan for virus and spyware. safety and prevention is the best cure! I WANT A HEALTHY COMPUTER! =D



2) be aware of all spam mail. best, DON'T READ THEM if they are unfamiliar to you.

DON'T be cheapo and think you can earn money by forwarding mails that have no hard evidence. OR for that case, think you can earn 20% of a couple of million dollars from someone whose RICH(my ass) relative just died and left inheritance in some bank for them to retrieve.

no one will be so kind to offer money to stranger. MILLIONS OK. WAKE UP!!!

DON'T open attachments or files if you aren't sure of the sender.

DON'T reply to spam mails cos' it indicates to them that your account is "Active". idiot.

DON'T give EVERYONE your email address, especially to businesses. the root of spam mail comes mainly from there.

OF COURSE, you can still give to your hot hot crushes. =D



3) be aware of phishing. identity theft and MONEY theft is scary. =( even though i don't have a meaty account like mr abel choy. HAHAH! =D

check websites by OPENING NEW BROWSER and pasting the webpage indicated on unknown emails. ALTERNATIVELY, you can always type in the usual website address you go to when you check your bank accounts etc.

EVEN IF the mail states that it COMES FROM THE COMPANY, don't lose your guard. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. double check.

4) no porn websites. HAHAHAHA.
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i think i've learnt more actually. just too lazy and tired to type out.
enjoy your weekend, whoever whose reading. byebye!!!!



com125 is interesting.........i never knew i knew so little.
-rubs eyes-