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CyberLink Showcases FaceMe® AI Facial Recognition Solution at IoT Tech Expo 2019

Los Angeles, California —October 29, 2019—CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a pioneer of AI and facial recognition technologies, will be demonstrating AIoT solutions powered by FaceMe®, the company’s award-winning facial recognition solution, at the world’s leading IoT conference,  IoT Tech Expo in Silicon Valley, CA, November 13th-14th, 2019. 

Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, security, public safety, banking and smart home. It yields up to a 99.82% accuracy rate over Labeled Faces in the Wild (LFW) database. In the latest Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), CyberLink has ranked 12th among all participants in FRVT 1:1 (WILD 1E-4), confirming that FaceMe® is a world-leading facial recognition engine. FaceMe® offers cross-platform capabilities on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, for a variety of edge devices and different hardware configurations, such as security systems, retail store cameras, access control, smart door bells, and service robots. 

“FaceMe® is designed to remove barriers and make facial recognition a widely deployed technology by software developers, device makers and solution integrators,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CyberLink’s founder and CEO. “Its flexibility, precision and lightning fast speed enable quick integration to virtually any IoT solutions involving human-machine interaction.”

You are invited to join Dr. Huang’s IoT Tech Expo’s session entitled “AI-Driven IoT at the Edge.” Jau will share insights derived from CyberLink’s successful deployment of edge-based AI facial recognition in a number of IoT areas, across devices, platforms and industries. The presentation, which is part of the Convergent Technology Solutions track, will be held on Wednesday November 13th at 12:30 PM.

Come meet CyberLink’s FaceMe® team at the IoT Tech Expo at stand #523 in Santa Clara’s Convention Center, in the Silicon Valley. You will see demos of FaceMe® and learn how your business can be transformed by enabling facial recognition for authentication, access control, safety, security, and visitor analytics.

For more information about FaceMe®, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com/FaceMe

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

ESET would like to announce our ESET Multi-Device Security products will ceased from the market on 18 October 2019

Dear customers, thank you for your support on ESET! We would like to announce our ESET Multi-Device Security products will ceased from the market on 18 October 2019. Kindly note for our existing and new users can continue to renew or purchase their licenses under ESET Internet Security for us to protect your online security.

If you have any enquiries, please contact our sales team at (65) 6296 4268 or visit http://eset.version-2.sg/

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

CyberLink Launches New Version of Director Suite 365, PowerDirector 18, and PhotoDirector 11, once again Raising the Bar for Video and Photo Editing Software

The new release of the company’s flagship multimedia editing solutions offers creators updated modern design tools, AI-powered features, and enhanced layer editing for professional videos and photos.

Taipei, Taiwan—September 17, 2019—CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), announced today the 2019 release of its creative multimedia editing products spearheaded by major updates to Director Suite 365, CyberLink’s flagship professional collection of creative software. The 2019 Director Suite update brings significant additions to PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, AudioDirector, and ColorDirector. It empowers users with more creative tools, optimized workflow and management options, AI-powered editing, plus an even more comprehensive collection of innovative plug-ins and effect packs.

PowerDirector 18 strives to deliver powerful video editing tools & effects. With the new motion graphic titles and shape designer, creators can add professional-looking animated titles with motion graphic elements and insert vector-based shapes with auto-fit text in their videos. Social media fans are now able to create, edit, and produce videos in 1:1 square aspect ratio for platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Professional videographers, YouTubers, and vloggers looking to produce ultra high-quality content can now enjoy support for 10bit/10bit HDR video, and 4K video preview, coupled with CPU performance boosts for i9 and R9 chipsets.

The new PhotoDirector 11 is the ultimate photo editing software, meeting all the needs of professional users as well as everyday photographers looking to turn their photos into art. With comprehensive tools that combine the best features of Lightroom®-like* color grading and adjustments with Photoshop®-like* powerful layer editing capabilities, PhotoDirector is fast evolving into a powerhouse in the photo editing space. Enhancements to the layer editing module speed up users’ workflow by bringing the whole array of PhotoDirector’s powerful yet intuitive guided editing tools, all within that module. AI-powered editing tools, including painting style transfer, bring image enhancements and creativity to another level at the click of a button. With AI-powered Deblur, shakey images are turned into flawless shots with just one click.

“CyberLink continuously strives to provide creators with powerful, yet easy-to-use multimedia editing tools. We believe that creating professional video and photo content shouldn’t require users to spend weeks learning how to use software features,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “Since the launch of Director Suite 365 in September 2018, over 60% of our users have chosen to convert to subscription plans and enjoy the significant extra value. CyberLink is committed to delivering continued value to users and 365 subscribers with new bonus plug-ins, templates, effects, AI style packs, sound effects and music tracks, and more powerful tools each month, empowering them to fully unleash their creativity.”

Director Suite 365 includes the latest versions of CyberLink’s high-end multimedia creative tools including PowerDirector 18, PhotoDirector 11, AudioDirector 10 and ColorDirector 8. On top of the powerful yet intuitive features that each of these products offers, Director Suite 365 subscribers also have unlimited access to a continually growing library of exclusive plug-ins, effect packs, frame and clip art packs, AI styles, plus background music tracks and sound effect clips. Access to this vast array of professional premium plug-ins and effects, worth over US$3,000, is free to all Director Suite 365 users for the life of their plan.

* “Lightroom®” and “Photoshop®” are registered trademarks of Adobe Inc.. Neither ” Lightroom®” nor “Photoshop®” is in any way associated with CyberLink Corporation.

Director Suite 365 plans bring users the following great benefits:

    • Flexible Plans: Cost-effective and flexible plans. You can take your software with you to work on your projects whenever you need.
    • Always Up-to-date: Be the first to get all new video & photo editing features exclusive to Director Suite 365. New features added every quarter!
    • New Design Packs Updated Monthly: Unlimited use of all creative design packs created by CyberLink. There are new packs every month!
    • New Music & Sound FX Tracks Every Month: As a Director Suite 365 user, you get 100+ background music, and 300+ sound effect clips with more added every month!

Features & Improvements in Director Family:

 

PowerDirector 18

    • Shape Designer: Apply and edit fully customizable vector shapes to your videos, with auto-fit text and keyframe controls.
    • Motion Graphics & Animated Titles: Impressive animated motion title templates that will make an elegant addition to any video project.
    • 1:1 Square Video for Instagram & Facebook: Create, edit & produce 1:1 square video. No more having to crop videos on Instagram.
    • Creative Transition Effects: 18 new, cool transition effects that will instantly turn your videos into pro-looking productions.
    • Nested Projects: Repurpose previous project files in your new ones. Users can insert a previous project as a PiP element onto the timeline.

PhotoDirector 11

    • Powerful Layer Editing: Compose unique images by combining photos, text, and graphics using a combination of blending modes and masks. Access all key adjustment and editing features within the layer editing tool to quickly create artistic masterpieces.
    • New Text Effects in Layer Editing: Add spectacular Bevel & Emboss Text and Customizable Warped Text.
    • AI Deblur: Blurry images are a thing of the past with intelligent deblur. Perfect for fixing up photos of active children, pets, or those taken from moving vehicles.
    • AI Styles: Our AI Engine intelligently applies brushstrokes that make your shots look like they were designed and painted by a master artist.

AudioDirector 10

    • AI Dewind: Intelligently remove wind gusts from audio clips recorded outdoors so that dialogue and ambient sounds can be heard clearly.
    • Punch & Roll Recording: Easily record lengthy voiceovers or podcasts, and accurately correct your dialogue tracks.

ColorDirector 8

  • Color Replacement with Keyframe Control: Make multiple color replacements throughout your clips with granular keyframe control.
  • Color Match: Standardize color between different scenes, or change the look of a scene to match a particular mood from a reference video.

Product Availability
The above products are available online at the CyberLink online store and in selected retail outlets worldwide in the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese and Korean. 

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

EQUIFAX DISCLOSES MASSIVE DATA BREACH

Today, September 8, 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting agencies in the United States, has disclosed that they suffered a massive data breach because their network was compromised by unknown hackers. According to the Equifax’s press release, attackers gained access to personal data of almost 143 million Americans. Social security numbers, birth dates and addresses of nearly half the population lost in this breach of the US could be misused by hackers for years to come. Credit card numbers of US-customers and non-US customers were also stolen. After Equifax announced the cyberattack, their shares dropped 13%.

Official information posted on the Equifax website states: “Based on the company’s investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017.” The breach was disclosed only yesterday, meaning it took six weeks to detect the cyberattack.

Network security solutions like GREYCORTEX that identify anomalous behavior within your network are especially important in this situation. These solutions mean your IT team can identify malware by its anomalous movement within the network, and identify it as it replicates. GREYCORTEX MENDEL identifies such anomalous behavior, offers deep network visibility, and differentiates between human and machine behavior, meaning you can find infected devices within your network and secure your company’s data and reputation.

CyberLink to showcase FaceMe® AI Facial Recognition Engine at Global Security Exchange

Los Angeles, California —August 27, 2019—CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a pioneer of AI and facial recognition technologies, will be showcasing its biometric security solutions powered by FaceMe®, the company’s award-winning facial recognition engine, at Global Security Exchange (GSX). For the first time, CyberLink will unveil FaceMe & U Alerts. U Alerts combined with FaceMe® enables automated notifications to be sent directly to mobile devices or PCs, and notify relevant people that a registered visitor or a person of interest is captured by a camera.

Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe®delivers reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart security, smart city, smart banking and smart home. It yields up to a 99.82% accuracy rate over Labeled Faces in the Wild (LFW) database. In the latest Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), CyberLink has ranked 12th among all participants in FRVT 1:1 (WILD 1E-4), proving that FaceMe® is a world-leading facial recognition engine. FaceMe® offers cross-platform capabilities across Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, for a variety of edge devices and different hardware configurations, such as security systems, retail store cameras, access control, and service robots. 

“FaceMe® enhances security through its advanced technology, providing one of the fastest and most flexible edge-based solutions in the market,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “Using facial recognition in public and private safety, and combining this technology with instant notification tools like U Alerts, can dramatically improve crime prevention and detection.”

Through face detection, recognition and alerts, FaceMe® technology can transform security in a variety of areas such as door control, staff access tracking, people of interest’s identification, loss prevention and behavioral analysis. At GSX 2019 CyberLink will exhibit FaceMe’s solutions for a number of use cases, combining facial recognition, U Alerts for instant notifications, and anti-spoofing technology for highly secure, accurate liveness detection to protect against biometric fraud with 2D and 3D cameras. Implementing FaceMe® with monitoring systems, cameras and access control devices allows companies to track access, traffic, age, emotions and more, dramatically improving overall security.

CyberLink Booth Information at GSX 2019
September 2nd – September 12th
McCormick Place
Chicago, IL
Booth: #2394, Level 3 – Exhibit Hall A

For more information about FaceMe®, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com/FaceMe

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

CyberLink to showcase FaceMe® AI Facial Recognition Engine at RetailNOW 2019

Taipei, Taiwan—July 16, 2019 —CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a pioneer of AI and facial recognition technologies, will be demonstrating AIoT solutions powered by FaceMe®, the company’s award-winning facial recognition engine, at RetailNow 2019. Facial recognition is transforming retail by enabling a whole new level of shopping customization, through traffic and visitor data analysis, dynamically updated ad displays, VIP customer identification and more. RetailNOW opens July 28, 2019 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and CyberLink is located at booth #644.

FaceMe® is one of the world’s top facial recognition engines powered by deep neural network. Its high precision yields up to a 98.5% true acceptance rate (TAR) with a false acceptance rate (FAR) of less than 10-6 (0.000001). FaceMe® provides excellent cross-platform capabilities that support Windows, Linux, Android and iOS for a variety of edge devices with different hardware configurations, such as digital signage, retail store cameras, CRM solutions, kiosks, access and security systems, and service robots. FaceMe’s® facial recognition technology enables Smart Retail solutions to measure traffic and collect key demographic data to ultimately create a personalized shopping experience through precise analytics.

“FaceMe® is a key enabler to re-invent brick and mortar retail into delivering a completely new, exciting and customized shopping experience,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “FaceMe®’s advanced technology provides one of the world’s most precise, fastest and flexible edge-based facial recognition solutions for digital signage, collection of visitor statistics and personalized shopping. It can help deliver a unique experience to each visitor.”

At RetailNOW 2019, CyberLink will demonstrate Smart Retail solutions powered by FaceMe®.  By implementing FaceMe® on digital signage and kiosks, stores can detect customers’ gender, age, emotions and more. Facial detection can help retailers track who enters and leaves a store, calculate the time spent in the store and even identify VIP customers.       

CyberLink Booth Information at RetailNOW 2019
July 28th – July 31st
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, TX
Booth: #644

For more information about FaceMe®, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com/FaceMe

 

 

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Limited is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 Limited offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

CyberLink Improves Ranking among the Top-Tier Vendors in the Latest Round of NIST Wild 1E-4 Testing

Taipei, Taiwan—July 9, 2019 —CyberLink Corp (5203.TW) today announced that its FaceMe® AI Facial Recognition Engine has ranked among the top tier in the latest Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) in the WILD 1E-4 benchmark category conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)*. With its algorithm achieving an accuracy rate of 97.02%, CyberLink’s FaceMe® team ranked 12th among all test participants. The WILD 1E-4 test reflects use cases in Smart Retail environments, Smart Surveillance, and Smart City scenarios. The outstanding performance of FaceMe® further demonstrates its exceptional reliability and precision for implementation in a wide range of IoT/AIoT edge devices.

NIST’s FRVT serves as the world’s preeminent benchmarking authority for facial recognition algorithms, with participation from development teams around the world. The NIST FRVT WILD 1E-4 dataset consists of faces extracted from surveillance camera footage or photos, encompassing a wide array of real-world situations including a range of capture angles, poor lighting, or partially covered faces. The image variability simulates real-world use cases where systems would be required to accurately identify individuals in multiple different settings.

In the latest NIST report released in July 2019, FaceMe® achieved a 97.02% accuracy rate (2.98% FNMR/False Non-Match Rate). Among all the world-class participants submitting NIST benchmarks, CyberLink’s FaceMe® team ranked 12th, only 0.27% away from the top-ranked team1, proving yet again that FaceMe® is a world-leading facial recognition engine.

“Since its release, FaceMe® has achieved outstanding results in major facial recognition competitions, including NIST and the MegaFace Challenge. The results confirm FaceMe®‘s global leadership in the facial recognition industry, providing world-class reliability, accuracy, and performance,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “The WILD 1E-4 test reflects real-world usage scenarios. The results of this test allow system integrators and developers to identify the most accurate and reliable facial recognition technology to implement in smart surveillance and smart retail scenarios.”

FaceMe® provides a fast, accurate facial recognition SDK that delivers flexible integration into edge computing platforms, across Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems. Since being released, CyberLink has worked with more than 100 customers worldwide to deploy FaceMe® into various solutions such as Smart Retail, Smart Banking, Smart Surveillance, and Smart Robots. In addition to NIST testing, FaceMe® also ranked 12th in the MegaFace Challenge hosted by the University of Washington, with an accuracy rate of 98.41%.

*Ranking is based on the FRVT 1:1 testing result released on 2019/7/3. For the test, each team/vendor can submit up to 2 facial recognition algorithms. CyberLink FaceMe® has achieved 2.98% of False Non-Match Rate (FNMR), ranking as number 17 algorithm in the WILD 1E-4 category. In this test, CyberLink is ranked number 12 among all team/vendor (vendors submitting 2 algorithms are counted as one team/vendor). The number 1 team in this test is Hikvision with FNMR at 2.71%, with 0.27% difference from CyberLink FaceMe®

 

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Limited is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 Limited offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

SafeDNS Renames & Regroups Several Content Categories and Introduces New Ones

SafeDNS’s changed the names of several content categories and regrouped the categories, so it is easier for our users to grasp their essence to decide which of the categories to block or allow with the web filtering service.

So, we have renamed the category containing sites with child sexual abuse images, criminally obscene adult and child sexual abuse content from a list compiled by Internet Watch Foundation/IWF (UK). Now the category is called ‘Child Sexual Abuse (IWF)’, and we have moved to a large group of categories called ‘Illegal Activity’. To the same group, we have moved two more categories – ‘German Youth Protection’ and ‘Child Sexual Abuse (Arachnid)’.

A new category, ‘Crypto-Mining’, is added to the ‘Illegal Activity’ group. The category contains sites that are known to stealthily mine cryptocurrencies.

Two more categories are renamed – the one we used to call ‘Banner Ads’ into ‘Online Ads’, and the ‘Politics’ category is now called ‘Politics, Society and Law’.

A significant change is that we now have an entirely new group of categories, called ‘Security’. In this group, we have moved the three long-existing categories you know well – ‘Virus Propagation’, ‘Phishing’, and ‘Botnets’.

In the large group of categories, called ‘General Sites’, there’s a new category, ‘Online Libraries’. Its name is pretty much self-explanatory. The category contains online library sites.

We sincerely hope the new names of the filtering categories and new way of grouping them makes it clearer what content the categories have and whether to ban them or not.

Go to the Web Filtering tab of your SafeDNS Dashboard and check the changes. You might want to block some of the new categories to improve your internet security further!

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About SafeDNS
SafeDNS breathes to make the internet safer for people all over the world with solutions ranging from AI & ML-powered web filtering, cybersecurity to threat intelligence. Moreover, we strive to create the next generation of safer and more affordable web filtering products. Endlessly working to improve our users’ online protection, SafeDNS has also launched an innovative system powered by continuous machine learning and user behavior analytics to detect botnets and malicious websites.

CyberLink Releases Power2Go 13, Enhancing Its World-renowned All-in-one Burning, Authoring and Backup Solution

The most-trusted burning and backup software returns with new features including disc authoring tools to create home movie discs, premium templates and free music.

Taipei, Taiwan—June 11, 2019 —CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), today launched the latest all-in-one disc burning, authoring and backup solution – Power2Go 13. The globally renowned burning and backup software returns with a host of innovative new features and free premium content for comprehensive disc authoring. The new version includes simplified menu design tools, free background music and a collection of premium templates for video enthusiasts to create and author professional movie discs from their home video or photo collection.

Over the years, Power2Go has become the most trusted and dependable solution for Optical Disc Drive (ODD) vendors around the world with its burning, backup and conversion technology. Power2Go 13 continues this trend, introducing innovative tools to make movie disc authoring available to all aspiring home-video creators and amateur filmmakers. Research from Vox shows that DVDs and Blu-ray discs still deliver unparalleled picture quality, making them perfect media supports for home movies, and enabling video enthusiasts to include a wide range of extra content and special features.

With the addition of free background music, premium menu templates and menu-creation tools, users can burn and author discs in a wide range of formats, using premium add-ons to finish off their productions. Users can also pin YouTube and Vimeo in 4K and HDR quality, for watching offline on PC & mobile devices.

“We are excited to give users an all-in-one solution for creating impressive movie discs, complete with new menu design features and a host of free premium add-on tools,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “While PowerDirector has captured the hearts of video enthusiasts with its professional multimedia editing tools, Power2Go is the friendly companion that lets users create and author pro-looking movie discs easily.”
                       
Key Features Include:

Movie Disc Authoring
Create DVD & Blu-ray discs with engaging, tailor-made menus, complete with background audio, photo gallery, intuitive chapter titles and a host of customizable preferences for the perfect menu layout. Users can also access an assortment of premium menu templates and free background music for complete customization.

Convert & Transfer
Intelligent Smart Detect selects the optimal output settings for transferring media files to your mobile device, saves storage space when transferring files to your mobile, and even converts GoPro or iPhone video to watch on other devices with H.265 encoding and decoding.

Download & Backup
Backup data files, and protect your Windows system quickly and easily with a bootable CD, DVD, Blu-ray recovery disc or a single USB drive. Users can also keep data secure with 256-bit, military-grade encrypted CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.

Disc Burning
The drag ‘n’ drop Desktop Widget allows users to burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and AVCHD movie discs almost instantly. Meanwhile, Smart Fit ensures your media fits onto one disc in the highest possible quality. A simple interface designed for speed and ease-of-use means you can digitize your CD collection or mount and view ISO files.

 

Power2Go Availability Power2Go 13 is available today from the CyberLink Online Store in English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Korean.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About CyberLink
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition.  CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD.  With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com

THE FIREWALL ISN’T A FIX-ALL

Understanding the limitations of perimeter security

June 10, 2019

Firewalls.

Everybody in IT knows what they are and nearly every company has them, some even without knowing it. They prevent unwanted communication. In most cases, it’s the first line of defense against network threats. They are effective, and are part of the list of basic requirements for any network security infrastructure.

But are firewalls enough? How about “Next Generation Firewalls”? To answer that, it is helpful to have at least a basic understanding of how firewalls work. Firewalls work like a ticket agent at the airport – you have a ticket? Great, you’re on the flight. No ticket? Go away. In technical terms, firewalls are based on rules that describe the network communication, which can, for example, allow or deny communication only from specific subnets, IP addresses, on particular ports, or no communication at all.

Firewalls haven’t stayed static, and they have become more advanced; like Next Generation Firewalls or Web Application Firewalls. Next Generation Firewalls are like a gatekeeper on steroids – not only will they not let you in if you don’t have a ticket, but will kick you out if you misbehave during the communication for which you had access. Essentially like a bouncer at a bar on New Year’s – you can come in if you have a ticket, but if you start being “fresh” with your fellow party-goers, you get tossed out. Beside basic firewall features, Next Generation Firewalls also contain Application Firewalls, which controls specific services or applications (not just IPs and ports) and Intrusion Prevention Systems, which block unwanted or malicious communication and are also referred to as IPS.

That’s a lot of walls.

Now, let’s look at whether they are as effective as they are expected to be.

Physical access

Picture a situation where an attacker tries to get into your network the easy way – through physical means. Firewalls are configured to ignore any communication that originates in the external network and is aimed at the core switch. The physical attack can include interaction with employees (more on that in our previous blog post), dumpster diving, physical access to areas, even the restricted ones, and more. In most cases, it’s enough to get into a conference room (sometimes even alone), plug your device into the network via wire and the attacker is into the network and off to the races. It’s then possible to set up a remote connection from within the network, because firewall policies for internal networks are often much less restrictive than those for external network (employees need to be able to work), allowing undisturbed access inside the network, not cut off by a firewall.

Remote access

Of course, access can be gained even without any physical access. For example, a new critical vulnerability is discovered for a popular network device provider which allows anyone to execute commands from the console on that device. Cases like this don’t happen every day, but they happen nevertheless. And when they happen, they can be catastrophic, because they are unknown to the existing network security tools or network/network security administrators. An attacker with remote shell access on such a device is then able to do anything. At that point, network is his, not yours.

While vulnerabilities like this are not as common, there are other remote attacks that are efficient, effective, and more common. In our previous blogpost we described one phishing scenario and we can build on that here. Say an attacker sends a crafted .pdf file via email to the victim. Since email communication is something that nearly every company needs, the email itself is not blocked. Maybe it’s disguised as an invoice or as a charity offer (as in the previous blog post), but once that file opens, the attacker gains full access to that computer and possibly even anything that’s available from there. You might think “but we use tools that prevent any malware in emails, we’re safe.” You might be right, but these are functionally just protection against spambots. Keep in mind that this will catch only known files – that are known to the security tool. If someone sends new malware, or specially created malware (which is usually how this attack is accomplished), then it won’t help.

BYOD

Finally, consider the example of the “personal device” – where (for example) Karen in the Accounting Department brings her phone to the office, and connects it to the network. Karen likes to watch MMA, but happens to use her mobile to stream content from sites which don’t respect authors and performance rights – what might be called a “bootleg feed” or a torrent site. As these streaming sites are notoriously rife with malware, Karen’s device is now infected – because she isn’t deploying mobile device security. When she accesses the trusted internal wifi network via her phone, she is opening up a direct pipeline for all of the malware on her phone, without having to go through the firewall.

In all of these scenarios, the firewall is ineffective, because not all of the communication comes through the firewall. This means that while a firewall is effective, it doesn’t offer 100% protection. Gaps exist, just a few of which have been included here.

But how to close the gap?

With enough time and effort, any network can be penetrated. To minimize the damage, you need to take precautions steps and close gaps left by tools like firewalls. How can you do this? To be able to identify what dangers have escaped your firewall, you need to be able to visualize every communication and every device in the network. Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) solutions monitor network traffic from communications not just through the firewall, but within the firewall as well – closing the gap on not just targeted attacks from outside, but also on BYOD, and other “safe” communications within the network. With full visibility, you know about everything that happens, right when it happens, which means you can respond to detected attacks before any serious damage happens to your organization, saving money, reputation, and your IT team’s sanity.

Identify anomalies

But what good is a mere visibility if there are countless packets every second? No one will be able to go through it all in real time – even with a team of thousands. So how to make sure that this incident gets the attention it deserves? NTA technology also helps to identify anomalous communications – devices acting strangely – on the network. Since an infected device starts to behave differently than it’s normal behavior – even in hard-to-identify ways – NTA technology; like MENDEL from GREYCORTEX, solves the problem, because it analyzes all network traffic and is able to spot these anomalous behaviors nearly immediately. It then informs the network team, allowing them to isolate infected or questionable devices from the rest of the network, preventing further damage, as well as to further investigate the incident without any risk of compromising further devices.

Having a firewall greatly improves the security of your network, but relying only on firewalls is irresponsible for many reasons – poor configuration, advanced threats or above-mentioned gaps. To be sure that nothing leaves your network without you knowing about it or having a say in it, you need bigger guns than just a firewall, even a next generation one. For significant improvement in your security, you need NTA solution to identify the hidden connected devices on the network, as well as to identify anomalous behavior that shows the hidden work of a compromised device.