[Malay] Guan Eng of DAP chats with Pak Samad - a great Malay literature artist

Malaysia: Proton Car Sales- World Ranking

Car Sales - World Ranking

Malaysia's Proton losing competitiveness....

Malaysia's ruling party (Barisan Nasional) 55 years of economic progress track record



MYLAUNCHPAD NEWS | Cybercriminals target phones, Android 'most exposed'

MYLAUNCHPAD NEWS Cybercriminals target phones, Android 'most exposed'

by Hui Min Neo

BARCELONA, (AFP) - Cybercriminals are sneaking a fast-increasing amount of malware into smartphones to steal data or even money, with those running on Google's Android most exposed to security threats, analysts said.

While the Android open concept has gained the hearts of those who find the iPhone too closely managed by Apple, it is also turning out to be the Google operating system's Achilles heel.

"Something really worrying about the Google model, which is also the beauty of that model, is the openness of the environment," Cesare Garlati, consumer specialist at security firm Trend Micro, told AFP.

Anyone can create or install an application on an Android phone, Garlati pointed out, as opposed to the Apple controlled Appstore which imposes a layer of screening.

"Android's security model basically says, it is the responsibility of the end user to judge if an application is secure.

"I think that is asking too much from the user. Who is able to understand if a vendor is legitimate?" he asked.

Trend Micro surveyed independent analysts about security features on the four main mobile operating systems -- Apple's iOS, RIM's BlackBerry, Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android -- and found that Blackberry was ranked most secure and Android the least.

BlackBerry benefitted from the fact that it was originally designed more as a platform than a device, while iOS, ranked second most secure, was tightly controlled by Apple.

Nevertheless, Garlati stressed that "no platform is immune from problems."

With over a billion people expected to own a smartphone by 2013, cybercheats are increasingly setting their sights on the market.

Several sessions at this year's Mobile World Congress therefore addressed security, with companies including McAfee, SAP, Kaspersky Lab all trotting out new security products for tablets or smartphones. Technology company Juniper Networks compiled a "record number of mobile malware attacks" in 2011, particularly on Android phones.

In 2010, just 11,138 mobile malware samples were recorded, but they soared 155 percent to 28,472 in 2011, the company said. Just under half -- 46.7 percent -- occurred on Android phones, said Juniper, whose study did not look into Apple breaches.

"The combination of Google Android's dominant market share and the lack of control over the applications appearing in the various Android application stores created a perfect storm, giving malware developers the means and incentives to focus on the platform," the group said.

Eugene Kaspersky, chief executive of the eponymous computer security firm, said: "We are pretty sure that this will follow the computer's evolution," pointing out that threats had surged from 90,000 in 2004 to some 16 million in 2011, with internet transactions largely fueling the rise. Some criminals are hiding "malicious code in legitimate applications" that consumers are downloading unwittingly. Once they have gained access to data on the phone, they are stealing information that could be used in identity theft or in illegal transactions.

A further incentive for cybercriminals to breach smartphone security is that unlike computers, each phone "has a direct link to money" through the SIM card, Denis Maslennikov, Kaspersky Lab's senior malware analyst said. Criminals are able, for instance, to implant so-called trojan horses that prompt phones to send SMSes to premium numbers.

"In 2012, the whole malware industry will become a fact we will have to deal with," he warned.

Time to move on?

Question:

I got a question from a friend recently asking when is a good time to move on from a failed relationship? When to give up?

Answer:

It will be time to move on when you're thinking about the relationship too much and it's not getting anywhere.

Post-answer comment:

I guess at the end of the day, anykind of relationships whether a special life-partner relationship to a friendship or even a pet-human relationship, it will always take two sides to maintain a healthy and happy relationship.

Except for a relationship with God, others will always have a chance to let you down but I am thankful that I am blessed with friends for nearly a decade that couldn't offer anymore genuine heartfelt friendships that one can ever ask for, for that thank you for being you, my friends and praise the Lord for all of you!

So it is your time to move on from something/ someone that bitters your soul? Wish them well in the heart and move on with your head held high because God still loves you.

Joshua

Religion and Marriage

"What do you think? Do you have the same religious beliefs as your mate? How does it affect your relationship?" <<<<<<<<<<<< My the of thought day....

Joshua

Are you part of the lost Generation?

A time to reflect on what truly matters in life.

A Poignant Stray Pup

I would love to publish my first blog on "Photo Journalism" with the discussion (not report) on the picture of the puppy above. What happened before the picture was taken is a beautiful event of life itself, a healthy good looking puppy but what happened after the picture was taken, we do not know.

The picture tells of a poignant story, especially for plight of stray animals which most have lived only to be "killed" later. Anyone with a glimpse of love will show compassion to the puppy (Picture above) if found on the street when we're passing by. Most will not show compassion beyond their own expense of time, comfort and money. Many would stop by as a sign of pitiness while only a handful will do something to improve the quality of lives of those stray animals.

I have very no idea on what has happened to the puppy now as I wasn't there when the photo was taken. I could only hope that this photo will appeal to many of the compassion and responsibilty we should have, even for creatures of God.

Joshua