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84% of Organizations Experienced Phishing & Ransomware Type Threats in the Past 12 Months

New Trend Micro study reveals tips on how to mitigate phishing and ransomware

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 July 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, published new research revealing that half of US organizations are not effective at countering phishing and ransomware threats.

The findings come from an Osterman Research study commissioned by Trend Micro and compiled from interviews with 130 cybersecurity professionals in mid-sized and large organizations.

A full copy of the report, How to Reduce the Risk of Phishing and Ransomware, is available here: https://resources.trendmicro.com/Osterman-Email-Security-WP.html

“Phishing and ransomware were already critical enterprise security risks even before the pandemic hit and, as this report shows, the advent of mass remote working has increased the pressure of these threats,” said Tony Lee, head of consulting at Trend Micro Hong Kong and Macau. “Organizations need multi-layered defenses in place to mitigate these risks. These range from phishing simulations to advanced threat detection and response platforms like Trend Micro Vision One, which alert security teams before attackers can make an impact.”

The study asked respondents to rate their effectiveness in 17 key best practice areas related to ransomware and phishing, ranging from protecting endpoints from malware infection to ensuring prompt patching of all systems.

Key takeaways from the report include:

  • 50% rated themselves ineffective overall at tackling phishing and ransomware.
  • 72% consider themselves ineffective at preventing home infrastructure from being a conduit for attacks on corporate networks.
  • Only 37% believed they were highly effective at following 11 or more of the highlighted best practices.

The report further split the threat landscape into 17 types of security incident and found 84% of respondents had experienced at least one of these—highlighting the prevalence of phishing and ransomware. Most common were successful:

  • Business email compromise (BEC) attack – 53%
  • Phishing messages resulting in malware infection – 49%
  • Account compromise – 47%

Phishing remains among the top vectors for threat actors. Although it can be the first stage in a ransomware attack, it’s also used in BEC raids, or to infect victims with malware including info-stealers, banking trojans, spyware, crypto-miners, and more.

Ransomware has become a modern epidemic, hitting government, hospitals, schools and private enterprises and any other targets deemed vulnerable to extortion and capable of paying. It results most often in both data loss and potential serious IT service outages.

The security issues flagged by respondents as most concerning were:

  • 65% phishing attempts landing in user inboxes
  • 65% users clicking on phishing links or opening attachments
  • 61% data theft via ransomware actors

The report also contains a trove of useful information for organizations including typical attack TTPs, effective mitigations and capabilities to look out for in commercial cybersecurity solutions.

High success rates for both phishing and ransomware campaigns mean both are likely to intensify over the coming years. The report recommends that organizations embrace the following best practices to mitigate cyber-risk:

  • Focus on root causes of compromise using a risk-based approach to address the most damaging threats
  • Improve authentication via use of password managers, tweaking policies, monitoring for credential breaches and even using passwordless authentication
  • Take a people, process and technology approach including user training, incident response processes and technology like Vision One to detect and respond to threats early on
  • Don’t wait for a breach before developing an incident response plan. Reach out to law enforcement, managed services providers, your security vendors, and other key stakeholders now

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk


#TrendMicro

United States to Ship Covid-19 Vaccines to Laos, Fiji, and Costa Rica

US Vaccines arrive in Vietnam (Photo: WHO Viet Nam/Loan Tran)
US Vaccines arrive in Vietnam (Photo: WHO Viet Nam/Loan Tran)

The United States is to ship over one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Laos, Fiji, and Costa Rica.

99% Of Millennials In The Philippines Said That Purchasing Pre-Owned Items Is More Sustainable, According To New Research By IAB SEA+India And Carousell Media Group

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach – 13 July 2021 – According to a new report published by Carousell Media Group (CMG) and IAB Southeast Asia and India (IAB SEA+India), a vast majority (99%) of Millennials in the Philippines felt that purchasing pre-owned items is more sustainable.

The report on the Millennial Motivations and Buying Behaviours Online across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, conducted across five Carousell Group’s markets – Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia (for both Carousell and Mudah.my platforms) and Vietnam (Cho Tot) with over 3,500 of its respondents, also uncovered that the global trend of recommerce – or the buying and selling of pre-owned items – is accelerating in this part of the world.

“Across all the local market research what was consistently obvious is that we are witnessing the explosive growth of recommerce as it feeds two key needs of consumers today; the demand for sustainability and the hunt for a good deal. This juncture of ethics and eCommerce creates fertile ground for retail media because of the interplay among customer data, closed-loop reporting, and real-world results that generate more and better data.” Miranda Dimopoulos, Regional CEO, IAB SEA+India said.

The research uncovered that Millennials in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong were driving this explosive growth. In the survey, 84% of under 35s in the Philippines said that they sold their pre-owned items because it is better for the environment to sell their items than dispose of them. The Philippines ranked this as the most important reason, as compared to the other markets.

JJ Eastwood, Managing Director, CMG shared “Recommerce has become synonymous with sustainability and this research demonstrates how important this has become to young people across the region. As we see users spending more on high-value products like luxury, and cars in the Philippines, we also see them being increasingly conscious of where they spend their money. This presents a unique opportunity for brands to win the hearts and minds of this core consumer segment around issues they care deeply about.”

This regional research establishes the audience profile in each market then explores income and spending habits, how the audience spends their time online, and offline, motivations to use buy-and-sell marketplaces as well as attitudes towards sustainability in relation to their purchasing habits. The report further deep-dives into some interesting local market insights.

Some key findings from the regional survey include:

  • 95% of Millennials felt that purchasing pre-owned items is more sustainable with 50% feeling strongly about this. For the Philippines, it was higher at 99%.
  • Millennials overall, also cared more about social issues such as sustainability, social responsibility and climate change in comparison to over 35s.
  • The Philippines ranked higher than the regional averages when it came to sustainability considerations being factored in by respondents when they were selling an item. 84% of the respondents said that they use platforms like Carousell to sell products, with the intent of upgrading to something else, and because it is better for the environment to sell the item rather than dispose of it.
  • In the majority of markets, both those under 35 and over 35 are equally motivated to use the platform as the environmental impact is lesser when purchasing a pre-owned item.
  • Over 35s are significantly more motivated by promotions and sales when it comes to purchasing a luxury item whereas under 35s will save for a particular item.
  • Gaming, Mobile, Gadgets or Accessories is the top category in Electronic Items, followed by Computer Accessories and Home & Kitchen Appliances; these are all categories that facilitate entertainment, communication, virtual working and cooking as respondents spent more time at home due to COVID-19.
  • Asian platforms dominate the competitor landscape against similar Western platforms such as Amazon.

“This research captures a highly engaged millennial audience who are in the browsing and buying mindset, motivated by a great deal and their belief that purchasing pre-owned is more sustainable. In addition, when we took a closer look at the Luxury Category, we found that half of all respondents bought luxury items in the past 12 months. Singapore, Carousell Malaysia and Hong Kong are above the purchasing average; despite being in the midst of a global economic slowdown. This signals the rise of an aspirational consumer class.” JJ Eastwood revealed.

For full access to the local market reports and to discuss retail media opportunities with Carousell Media Group in more detail, email at mediagroup@thecarousell.com. Any research questions or feedback can be sent to hello@iabseaindia.com.

About Carousell Media Group:

The Carousell Media Group (CMG) is the media arm of the Carousell Group and offers advertising solutions for brands and agencies across all brands – Carousell, Mudah.my, Cho Tot and OneKyat. With tens of millions of users in 8 different markets across Southeast Asia & Hong Kong, Carousell Media Group provides scale and reach to advertisers. Visit here for more information.

About IAB SEA+India:

Established in 2010, the IAB SEA+India is the not-for-profit association that galvanises the digital industry across the region. Collaborating with partners throughout the digital landscape, the membership – comprising brands, publishers, agencies and tech platforms – has grown twelvefold in the past eight years, reflecting the acceleration of digital in the region.

IAB SEA+India has successfully established strong credibility and a track record of meaningful work built upon the strength of its board, councils, research, guidelines, government relations, mentoring and education initiatives.

The Association offers world-class expertise that elevates the profile of the region on a local and global scale. Since the launch of the IAB training series in 2014, IAB SEA+India has trained over 25,000 people, and in 2020, attained overall membership satisfaction and value scores of 4.9 out of 5.

#CarousellMediaGroup #IABSEA+India

New Research Signals The Rise Of A Growing Aspirational Consumer Class In Hong Kong, Increasingly Dominated By Millennials, According To New Research By IAB SEA+INDIA And Carousell Media Group

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 July 2021 – According to a new report published by Carousell Media Group (CMG) and IAB Southeast Asia and India (IAB SEA+India), income levels and purchasing patterns in Hong Kong signalled towards a growing aspirational consumer class. 64% of Hong Kongers noted that their household income was in the top 50% income tier.

The report on the Millennial Motivations and Buying Behaviours Online across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, conducted across five Carousell Group’s markets – Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia (for both Carousell and Mudah.my platforms) and Vietnam (Cho Tot) with over 3,500 of its respondents, also uncovered that the global trend of recommerce – or the buying and selling of pre-owned items – is accelerating in this part of the world.

“This research captures a highly engaged millennial audience who are in the browsing and buying mindset, motivated by a great deal, variety of options, and by their belief that purchasing pre-owned is more sustainable. In addition, when we took a closer look at the Luxury Category, we found that half of all respondents bought luxury items in the past 12 months. Overall, Singapore, Carousell Malaysia and Hong Kong are above the purchasing average; despite being in the midst of a global economic slowdown. This signals the rise of a growing aspirational consumer class, dominated primarily by under 35s.” JJ Eastwood, Managing Director, CMG shared.

This regional research establishes the audience profile in each market then explores income and spending habits, how the audience spends their time online, and offline, motivations to use buy-and-sell marketplaces, as well as attitudes towards sustainability in relation to their purchasing habits.

Key findings include:

  • 93% of Millennials in Hong Kong felt that purchasing pre-owned items is more sustainable
  • 62% of respondents in Hong Kong bought a luxury item in the past 12 months, with over 50% buying Bags & Wallets from brands like Gucci, etc. Luxury accessories and belts are significantly more popular in Millennials vs over 35s.
  • Millennials were more likely to save to buy luxury items vs over 35s. We see that most of the Millennial household income goes towards savings (27%), which is higher than the regional average. However, over 35s are significantly more motivated by promotions and sales when it comes to purchasing a luxury item.
  • Millennials overall, also cared more about social issues such as sustainability, social responsibility and climate change in comparison to over 35s.
  • In the majority of markets, both those under 35 and over 35 are equally motivated to use the platform as the environmental impact is lesser when purchasing a pre-owned item.
  • Gaming, Mobile, Gadgets or Accessories is the top category in Electronic Items, followed by Computer Accessories and Home & Kitchen Appliances; these are all categories that facilitate entertainment, communication, virtual working and cooking as respondents spent more time at home due to COVID-19.
  • Asian platforms dominate the competitor landscape against similar Western platforms such as Amazon

“Across all the local market research, what was consistently obvious is that we are witnessing the explosive growth of recommerce as it feeds two key needs of consumers today; the demand for sustainability and the hunt for a good deal. This juncture of ethics and eCommerce creates fertile ground for retail media because of the interplay among customer data, closed-loop reporting, and real-world results that generate more and better data.” Miranda Dimopoulos, Regional CEO, IAB SEA+India said.

“Recommerce has become synonymous with sustainability and this research demonstrates how important this has become to young people across the region. As we see users spending more on high-value products like luxury, and cars, we also see them being increasingly conscious of where they spend their money. This presents a unique opportunity for brands to win the hearts and minds of this core consumer segment around issues they care deeply about,” said JJ Eastwood.

For full access to the local market reports and to discuss retail media opportunities with Carousell Media Group in more detail, email us at mediagroup@thecarousell.com. Any research questions or feedback can be sent to hello@iabseaindia.com.

About Carousell Media Group:

The Carousell Media Group (CMG) is the media arm of the Carousell Group and offers advertising solutions for brands and agencies across all brands – Carousell, Mudah.my, Cho Tot and OneKyat. With tens of millions of users in 8 different markets across Southeast Asia & Hong Kong, Carousell Media Group provides scale and reach to advertisers. Visit here for more information.

About IAB SEA+India:

Established in 2010, the IAB SEA+India is the not-for-profit association that galvanises the digital industry across the region. Collaborating with partners throughout the digital landscape, the membership – comprising brands, publishers, agencies and tech platforms – has grown twelvefold in the past eight years, reflecting the acceleration of digital in the region.

IAB SEA+India has successfully established strong credibility and a track record of meaningful work built upon the strength of its board, councils, research, guidelines, government relations, mentoring and education initiatives.

The Association offers world-class expertise that elevates the profile of the region on a local and global scale. Since the launch of the IAB training series in 2014, IAB SEA+India has trained over 25,000 people, and in 2020, attained overall membership satisfaction and value scores of 4.9 out of 5.

#CarousellMediaGroup #IABSEA+India

Illegal Entrants Swimming Across Mekong Turn Out to be Floating Water Bottles

Illegal entrants turn out to be water bottles

Authorities have clarified a rumor circulating in social media that a group of Lao laborers swam across the Mekong River from Thailand to Savannakhet Province illegally.

Mr. Kok-Chye Ong Appointed as Managing Director, Head of IDC (ex-China) at Gaw Capital Partners

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 July 2021 – Gaw Capital Partners today announced the appointment of Mr. Kok-Chye Ong as Managing Director & Head of IDC (ex-China) at Gaw Capital Partners, with effect from July 13, 2021. Mr. Ong will be based in Singapore.

Mr. Ong will spearhead internet data centre (IDC) platform investments for Gaw Capital Partners outside of the China region, building a professional team and platform to build on our successful IDC platform in China, where Gaw Capital Partners has already committed US$1.3 billion since 2019.

Kenneth Gaw, President & Managing Principal of Gaw Capital Partners, said, “I am delighted to welcome Kok-Chye onboard. His exceptional leadership and industry expertise in the fields of data centres and telecoms will be invaluable for the development of Gaw Capital Partners’ IDC platform. I am confident that our IDC platform will continue to evolve and develop into a high-quality business under his leadership.”

Prior to joining Gaw Capital Partners, Mr. Ong worked in the Keppel Group of companies for 10 years in a number of roles including being a Senior Vice President and since 2014, as the Head of Strategy and Global Investments at Keppel Data Centres, a regional data centre owner and operator with over 25 data centres spread across the APAC and European regions. He has over 20 years of international experience in data centres, telecom and submarine cable development projects. He has strong track record in fundraising, growing data centre businesses in key markets in Asia and Europe, and leading investment teams to acquire data centres in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and in the Netherlands. He was ranked by Data Economy in 2018 as one of the world’s top 25 finance deal makers in the data centre and cloud industry.

Mr. Ong received his Bachelor of Accounting degree from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and graduated from the Sloan Fellows Program at Stanford University with a Master of Science in Management from the Graduate School of Business in 2007. He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) in Singapore and Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accounts (ISCA) and CPA Australia.

About Gaw Capital Partners

Gaw Capital Partners is a uniquely positioned private equity fund management company focusing on real estate markets in Asia Pacific and other high barrier-to-entry markets globally.

Specializing in adding strategic value to under-utilized real estate through redesign and repositioning, Gaw Capital runs an integrated business model with its own in-house asset management operating platforms in retail, hospitality, property development, logistics, IDC and Education. The firm’s investments span the entire spectrum of real estate sectors, including residential development, offices, retail malls, hospitality, logistics warehouses and IDC projects.

Gaw Capital has raised six commingled funds targeting the Greater China and APAC regions since 2005. The firm also manages value-add/opportunistic funds in Vietnam and the US, a Pan-Asia hospitality fund, a European hospitality fund, a Growth Equity Fund and also provides services for separate account direct investments globally.

Gaw Capital has commanded assets of USD$ 30.7 billion under management as of Q1 2021.

#GawCapital

Laos to Develop Sustainable Tourism Sites in Champasack

Sustainable Tourism Dong Hua Sao Champasack

The government plans to develop the Dong Hua Sao National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area and the Xe Pian National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area in Champasack provinces as ecotourism sites as part of efforts to promote sustainable tourism.

Microsoft and NEC Expand Strategic Partnership to Boost Business Resiliency and Growth

TOKYO, JAPAN and REDMOND, WASH. – Media OutReach – 13 July 2021 – Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) on Tuesday announced an expansion of their decades-long collaboration. Through a new multi-year strategic partnership, the companies will leverage Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, NEC’s network and IT expertise, including 5G technologies, and each other’s AI and IoT solutions to help enterprise customers and the public sector across multiple markets and industries further accelerate their cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives.

The partnership will see NEC adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform to deliver enhanced capabilities to drive sustained digitalization, help customers transform their business models, and build Digital Workplaces for the post-pandemic “new normal.”

To accelerate NEC’s Digital Workplace innovation and workforce transformation, the companies will work together to migrate NEC’s on-premises IT environment to Azure and deploy Azure Virtual Desktop and other Azure services among the NEC Group’s 110,000 employees worldwide. This modernization builds on NEC’s existing Microsoft 365 platform and will enable a highly sustainable environment that is more secure and robust, accelerating cloud migration for NEC and its customers throughout the commercial and public sector in Japan and around the world.

The companies will work together to help improve digital services for public sector and enterprise customers through workplace and workforce transformation. Greater speed and lower-latency data connections will provide high-performance network experiences to create more efficient workplaces and empower employees to realize more personalized work styles for public sector as well as private sector customers.

Leveraging the assets of both companies, including Microsoft’s Intelligent Edge solutions and NEC’s private 5G networking technologies, the companies will work together to help customers across industries transform. In retail, for example, the two companies will work together to analyze customer transaction data in real time using AI to better understand buying patterns, improve operational efficiency and identify new market opportunities.

The combination of Azure and both companies’ AI and IoT technologies and expertise will enhance NEC’s customer experience through advanced solutions and enable more secure maintenance and operation of stores. In addition, NEC and Microsoft plan to explore network innovation initiatives built on Microsoft Azure for enterprise domains and specific industries.

Through the partnership, the companies will work together to double the number of digital-focused engineers within the NEC Group who are specialized in Microsoft technologies. This investment in technical capabilities and the expertise of NEC’s employees will help ensure customers’ digital transformation success, benefiting the market and society.

“As we’ve seen over the past year, digital adoption curves are accelerating across every industry and business function,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our strategic partnership with NEC brings together the power of Azure and Microsoft 365 with NEC’s services and infrastructure expertise to help public and private sector customers build resilience and transform during this era of rapid change.”

“NEC is pleased to enter into this strategic collaboration with Microsoft Corp.,” said Takayuki Morita, president and CEO of NEC Corporation. “With Microsoft’s trusted cloud and services, the experience that NEC has cultivated in its own systems, and both companies’ AI and IoT technologies, we will enable companies globally to use digital services that are safer and more secure than ever before as they progress with digital initiatives.”

“The need for sustainable transformation to ensure business resiliency and growth has never been more important in the world and especially Japan,” said Hitoshi Yoshida, president & CEO, Microsoft Japan. “Our partnership will help accelerate the industry’s cloud-based digital transformation and utilization of data migration and help Japan’s continued success globally, leading to greater economic and societal prosperity.”

This announcement is based on a history of strong collaboration between Microsoft and NEC spanning more than 40 years.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

#Microsoft

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

#NEC