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Industry on The Edge: 3 Use Cases That Show How Industry is Putting Edge Computing to Work Today

Industry watchers have signaled Edge Computing as one of the major IT trends to watch over the next decade. What many people don’t fully appreciate is that Edge Computing is not yet one more over-hyped, future-state technology, but rather something that is being embraced in a number of industries today. And perhaps most surprisingly, it’s being embraced in many staid ‘old-school’ industries such as steel manufacturing, brick-and-mortar retailers, and even container shipping that one might not typically associate with the bleeding-edge.

The term ‘Edge Computing’ simply refers to the paradigm of bringing computation and data storage closer to the location where it’s needed as a way to improve response times and mitigate bandwidth constraints. A new generation of Edge Computing platforms can literally be held in the palm of your hand, can be placed practically anywhere since they have no special cooling or power requirements, and can be easily scaled by simply connecting them into clusters to quickly bring more compute and storage resources online as needed.

Back to the Future

Edge Computing represents another swing of the pendulum in the decades-long journey that has shaped the way IT resources are consumed and delivered – from the highly centralized mainframe computing paradigm to distributed models of client-server and the Cloud and now, we are seeing organizations shift the heavy lifting of compute and storage back on-site.

According to a September 2020 forecast report by IDC, the worldwide Edge computing market will reach $250.6 billion in 2024 while Gartner predicts that by 2025, three-quarters of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed at the edge – outside a traditional centralized data center or cloud (up from just 10% in 2018)

There are a number of reasons why we are seeing a renewed interest in moving IT systems closer to home base. Among the most salient benefits, Edge offers greater resiliency, flexibility, and simplified management. And as more businesses introduce new IoT devices and sensors into their environment that produce a high volume of data, the ability to process and feed this data back into local systems can be a major driver of innovation.

Three Edge Use Cases in the Real World

What follows are three use cases from the manufacturing, retail, and shipping industries that showcase how they are applying Edge Computing to not just simplify and improve the efficiency of the IT operations, but also show how Edge is enabling innovation.

1. Manufacturing at the Edge: Uniting Atoms and Bits in Real-Time

While the manufacturing industry has readily embraced automation and other technologies to boost productivity and improve efficiency, many manufacturers continue to struggle under the weight of having to manage complex and unwieldy systems. However, the extreme simplicity of a hyperconverged infrastructure makes it most beneficial in use cases where IT staff is limited – which is often the case for the tens of thousands of small and mid-sized manufacturing businesses operating across the U.S. And many are now investing in the Edge to optimize the performance of their plant machinery.

One needs to look no further than Harrison Steel, an Indiana-based manufacturer of engineered steel castings. Founded over a century ago, Harrison is an industrial manufacturer that operates several massive electric arc furnaces alongside other precision machinery across more than 650,000 square feet of its sprawling factory floor. Because their facility is so large, networking these machines together was cost prohibitive, forcing their IT staff to spend a good portion of their day transferring machine data back on USB drives for analysis. With a small cluster of hyperconverged machines, they were able to put a system in the middle of their shop floor and collect all of this machine data at regular intervals to keep their systems and machines fully calibrated.

2. Retail at the Edge: When Downtime is Not an Option

Traditional retailers across all categories are under increasing pressure to apply technology that improves the customer experience and most importantly, . Unfortunately, the legacy IT architecture typically found in brick-and-mortar – Point of Sale terminals, servers that collect transactions and track inventory — is often rigid, convoluted, and slow.

Jerry’s Foods, a regional chain of 50 retail, grocery, liquor and hardware stores, is one example of how traditional retail is being transformed by the Edge. With 50 storefronts dispersed across three states and no IT staff available within their store locations, the complexity of their IT systems had become a source of persistent disruption that was negatively impacting their customer’s experience. With a centralized IT staff of five supporting all of their branch stores, the majority of their time was spent remotely troubleshooting issues. Implementing an Edge computing strategy has enabled them to deploy hyperconverged clusters within each store, improving the reliability of their existing systems, allowing them to be managed remotely, and in the event of a disruption, seamlessly failover to keep critical applications online.

3. The Edge at Sea: An Extreme Edge Scenario

The global shipping industry represents one of the most important links in the global supply chain, transporting roughly 90 percent of the world’s goods from port to port on a daily basis. While the ships themselves are towering husks of steel and diesel – IT and the specialized applications that they run, are the orchestration engine that make it all work.

Until only recently, once a ship left port, it was more or less isolated from communication with resources at shore. And since these ships are limited by connectivity and don’t typically have an IT expert aboard, when a pivotal IT component goes offline on a ship hundreds of miles from shore, redundancy and resiliency become all the more critical.

Telford Offshore, an international offshore service provider to the oil and gas industry, operates a fleet of vessels that require 24/7 availability — and must do so in some of the world’s most extreme environments. Without reliable Internet connectivity, Telford’s IT leadership understood that significant cost and operational efficiencies would be realized by unifying their IT infrastructure into a single appliance and could be stationed on each individual vessel in its expanding fleet. Now if there is a system failure, they don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to fly an IT support staff to swap out a simple part.

Technology innovations continue to make our world smaller, more connected, and consequently, more vulnerable to disruption when one of those links becomes disconnected. As demonstrated by some of the examples above, bringing converged infrastructure back to local operating environments where more and more data is being generated, and making it easier and more cost-effective to manage, is creating a wealth of new opportunities for innovation. And unlike so many other over-hyped technologies, it’s already here.

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 Scale Computing
Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Scale Computing HC3 software eliminates the need for traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, the HC3 self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing HC3 is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate and TrustRadius.

Malware: Learn How to Identify the Threat Quickly

But along with the efficiency ofIn a completely digital world, it is normal for all sensitive data of a person or company to circulate and be stored on computers or mobile devices. Whether through websites, folders or applications.

 control and information disclosure, risks also came along. In different corners of the Internet, there are hidden threats that can steal personal data and cause a tremendous headache to any user.

Among these most common threats in everyday virtual life, we can highlight malware, short for malicious software.

What is Malware?

Malware is a type of computer program designed to infect a person’s device and harm them in many ways. It has various means of infecting computers and mobile devices, and it can also take many forms.

Spyware, viruses, worms, and Trojans are among these threats. Viruses are perhaps the most well-known type of malware and so are called because they are able to replicate various forms of themselves and spread across the network.

Each of them has a different “function”. Spyware, for example, copy and transmit personal information such as credit card numbers. Therefore, being well disguised in any corner of the Internet, the user must know how to identify them to protect themselves in every way.

Looking for more protection for your network? Then visit our website and request a demo of our services!

How to Identify Malware

Malware can manifest itself in many different ways on devices. Paying attention to these signs is important to be able to neutralize any threat right away.

  • Reduced operating system speed, when browsing the internet or using local applications;
  • System shutdown, crash, or Blue Screen;
  • System and antivirus update failures;
  • Sudden appearance of new toolbars, extensions, or plugins;
  • Mysterious loss of disk space;
  • Change of browser homepage without permission or links that lead to unwanted destinations on the Internet;
  • Excessive ads in pop-up windows on the screen of devices;
  • The high usage of system resources and the computer’s fan working at a fast pace.

Nevertheless, even if everything is working normally on the devices, it does not mean everything is fine. A more powerful malware can hide on the computer and perform illegal activities without awakening any system alerts, managing to steal passwords or sensitive files.

How is The User Infected with Malware?

There are many ways in which a user can be tricked, infected by malware, and put their system and data at risk. The two most common ways it can access your system are on the Internet and through email.

Anything downloaded from the Internet to a device that does not have a quality anti-malware security application can pose risks to the user. The most common ways by which this can happen are:

  • Browsing on compromised websites;
  • Downloading infected music files;
  • Installing new toolbars from an unknown provider;
  • Clicking on game demos;
  • Configuring software from a risky source;
  • Opening suspicious email attachments.

But some can also hide in legitimate apps, especially when downloaded from websites or via messages, rather than through an app store.

Therefore, it is recommended to always use reliable sources of mobile apps or install apps from reputable providers, always downloading directly from the provider and never from other websites.

Even if a user installs something from a reputable source, failing to pay attention to requests for permission to install other program packages at the same time could end up installing unwanted software.

But there are much simpler ways to come across malware. Just visiting a malicious website, for example, or viewing a page and/or an infected ad, a malware download can take place.

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 Segura®
Segura® strive to ensure the sovereignty of companies over actions and privileged information. To this end, we work against data theft through traceability of administrator actions on networks, servers, databases and a multitude of devices. In addition, we pursue compliance with auditing requirements and the most demanding standards, including PCI DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001 and HIPAA.

Portnox Receives ISO 27001 Security Certification for Network Access Control

AUSTIN, TX – December 16, 2021 – Portnox, a leading provider of network access control (NAC) and network security solutions, today announced that it has received ISO 27001 Certification for the development of network access control software – both cloud-delivered and on-premise.

“Portnox strives to meet today’s highest standards for security and compliance each and every day. Our recent ISO 27001 Certification is a testament to the company’s commitment to deliver best-of-breed network security solutions to our customers around the globe,” said Portnox CEO Denny LeCompte.

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security. It sets out the specification for an information security management system (ISMS). The information security management system standard’s best practice approach helps organizations manage their information security by addressing people, processes and technology. To receive this certification, Portnox underwent a formal, third-party audit to verify that its existing controls, processes and procedures met today’s required security standards. The ISO 27001 certification is evidence that Portnox complies with the highest international standards.

“For our customers and all those considering Portnox NAC products within their organizations, our ISO 27001 Certification will help to streamline and expedite IT audits and due diligence processes,” said Portnox CTO Ofer Amitai.

Certification to the ISO 27001 Standard is recognized worldwide as an indication that your ISMS is aligned with information security best practices. Part of the ISO 27000 series of information security standards, ISO 27001 is a framework that helps organizations “establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain and continually improve an ISMS”. The latest version of the ISO 27001 information security standard was published in September 2013, replacing the 2005 iteration.

Portnox is also ISO 9001 certified, which serves as the international standard for quality management systems (QMS), and verifies that Portnox consistently provides network security products that meet customer and regulatory requirements. ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the ISO. The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.

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 Portnox
Portnox provides simple-to-deploy, operate and maintain network access control, security and visibility solutions. Portnox software can be deployed on-premises, as a cloud-delivered service, or in hybrid mode. It is agentless and vendor-agnostic, allowing organizations to maximize their existing network and cybersecurity investments. Hundreds of enterprises around the world rely on Portnox for network visibility, cybersecurity policy enforcement and regulatory compliance. The company has been recognized for its innovations by Info Security Products Guide, Cyber Security Excellence Awards, IoT Innovator Awards, Computing Security Awards, Best of Interop ITX and Cyber Defense Magazine. Portnox has offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For information visit http://www.portnox.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.。

Online scams are rife, here’s how you can stay safe when shopping online

Online shopping and e-commerce are on the rise and are here to stay even after the pandemic. However, the threat landscape is also constantly evolving with cybercriminals becoming more elusive and subtle with their scams. According to a consumer survey conducted amongst 11,200 internet users earlier this year, around 67% in APAC came across various online scams in the past 12 months, with the most common types being online shopping (21%), social media (18%) and investment (15%) scams. Figure 1 Of those who fell victim to online shopping scams, 32% said it involved tech gadgets such as cameras while 27% said it was related to apparel. More worryingly, the survey also revealed that around 15% of respondents will continue to shop with an online retailer even if they have suffered an online breach, regardless of whether additional safeguards have been put in place. More vigilance and cyber hygiene are needed while shopping online using mobile devices Many respondents from ESET’s survey, especially from Indonesia (89%), Thailand (79%), India (74%) and Singapore (74%) primarily shop online using their mobiles phones instead of tablets or laptops. Despite this, only about 23% of respondents across APAC said they use antivirus or mobile security app on their smartphone. The lack of cybersecurity measures on smartphones is worrying because they are now primarily used for online shopping and would naturally contain sensitive financial data such as credit card information. Over the past year, malware targeting financial data on mobile devices has become increasingly common. For instance, Android banking malware saw a continued increase of 49% between May to August 2021 after rising by an incredible 158.7% in the first four months of the year. Figure 2 The rise in e-commerce has inevitably led to more opportunities for online scammers to strike. As people continue digitalising their lives, consumers need to take care of their data as cybercriminals are using more sophisticated methods to penetrate the systems of users and steal their money. Furthermore, around 10% of respondents across APAC said they found fraudulent charges in their bank accounts, mobile wallets or mobile payment apps last year. Consumers cannot be complacent and need to take an active role in cyber hygiene to stay protected. There are far reaching consequences if consumers do not pay close attention to possible threats. Here are some essential tips to bear in mind when you shop online:
  1. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Cybercriminals often use great discounts to lure unsuspecting victims.
  2. Ensure that the shopping site or app you are using is legitimate. Bookmark shopping sites that have been verified and use that link for future purchases. While it is a good idea to ensure that a website that you are shopping on uses encryption (HTTPS), do note that even malicious phishing sites can now show a padlock icon and https, which could mislead people into thinking it is a legitimate site. Always download mobile shopping apps from the official app store.
  3. Refrain from using public Wi-Fi when making purchases. Cyberattackers can exploit inconsistent or lax public Wi-Fi security to infiltrate a poorly secured network to monitor the victims’ traffic and redirect them to fraudulent login pages. Another threat is posed by “evil twin” attacks, wherein the attacker creates a malicious Wi-Fi network that carries a similar name to the public network to dupe victims into providing direct access to the devices and sensitive data.
  4. Check your card or bank statements regularly for unauthorised transactions. You should also look out for small amounts as cybercriminals might ‘test’ your card before placing a larger transaction. Another good idea is to enable security alerts for financial or card transactions on your account.
  5. Use a cybersecurity solution on your devices. A good cybersecurity solution such as ESET Internet Security and ESET Mobile Security for Android have a payment protection feature that is designed to protect your financial data during online transactions.
  6. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your most important online accounts. MFA is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access and helps add an additional layer of security.
  7. Do not share or divulge your PIN codes or online banking passwords when making a payment online. Your PIN should only be used at ATMs and physical, point-of-sale terminals, such as supermarket check-outs.

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.

Do you know what BYOD, BYOA, BYOT are? No? You lack experience!

We apologize in advance for this extremely freaky reference: If in the well-known science fiction saga Foundation there was a duty to collect all the information of the galaxy to save it, at Pandora FMS we have assigned ourselves the task of making a glossary worthy enough with all the “What are” and the “What is” of technology. And today, without further delay or freakiness, it’s time to define the acronyms: BYOD, BYOA, BYOT.

* Warning to (very) lost sailors: This “Byo-” has NOTHING to do with that other prefix element, “Bio”. Thank you. Get back to your beloved diet

Do you already know what BYOD is? And BYOA? Nor what is BYOT?

BYOT (Bring your own technology)

That means indeed: “Bring your own tech from home, kid”. This is what BYOT means. A policy that allows employees to bring their own electronic devices, personal ones, from home to work.

This has advantages even if you don’t imagine it. And the top companies each give their distinctive approach to implementing such a policy. Some offer employees remuneration to purchase such technology. Other companies think better of it and expect their employees to put up with half or all of the expenses. Some even spend the money but then they demand for employees to pay for some services separately, such as phone service or data…

In any case, no matter how you buy your new devices or whoever pays for the Internet that month, if the device is connected to a corporate network, a highly professional IT department must secure and manage the device.

BYOD (Bring your own device)

Correct. You have translated well: “Use your own device from home, kid”. This term refers again, although on a different scale, to the tendency of employees to use personal devices to work and connect to their company’s networks, access their systems or relevant data.  You know what we mean when we talk about “personal devices”… your smartphone, your laptop, your tablet or, I don’t know, your 4-gigabyte USB.

The truth is that this rings a bell, companies, and especially since this terrible pandemic, now support teleworking. BYOD is here, more and more, working from home, maintaining a flexible schedule, including trips and urgent departures, in the middle of the morning, to get a Coke or to pick up your kid from school.

As it could not be otherwise, for the directives of your company the security of your BYOD is a crucial issue. Because for you it can be a whole morale boost, even on productivity, the fact of working with your trustworthy device, but if the IT department does not take care of checking it before, the access of your personal devices to the company network can raise serious security concerns.

The best thing in this case is to establish a policy where it is decided whether the IT department is going to protect personal devices and, if so, how it is going to determine the access levels. Approving types of devices, defining security policies and data ownership, calculating the levels of IT support granted to BYOD…  Then informing and educating employees on how to use their devices without ultimately compromising company data or networks. Those would be the steps to follow.

Studies show that there is higher productivity for employees using BYOD. Nothing less than a 16% increase in productivity in a normal workweek, for those who work forty hours. It also increases job satisfaction and the fact that new hires decide to stay through a flexible work arrangement. Employee efficiency is higher due to the comfort and confidence they have in their own devices. Technologies are integrated without the need to spend on new hardware, software licenses or device maintenance…

Everything looks wonderful, although there are also certain disadvantages as usual. Data breaches are more likely due to theft or loss of personal devices, as well as employee dismissal or departure. Mismanagement of firewalls or antivirus on devices by employees. Increased IT costs, and possible Internet failures.

BYOA (Bring your own application)

And what’s that? BYOA is basically the tendency of employees to use third-party applications and Cloud services at work.

As we know, mobile devices, owned by employees, have personal-use applications installed. However, they access these applications and different services through the corporate network. Well, this is the aforementioned BYOA.

There are benefits, of course. All those who may be listening to Spotify or using your own Google Drive without paying directly for the Internet. However, the higher the BYOA, like the higher BYOD and BYOT, the bigger the security holes in your organization. No one suffers more than a company’s IT department when it comes to thinking about how vulnerable corporate data can be. Especially when they are stored in the Cloud.

Conclusions

BYOT, BYOD, BYOA solutions are very efficient in the way an employee works. High morals, high practicity, and high productivity. However, well, they do pose certain cracks in the corporate network. Sensitive data and unsupported/unsecured personal devices, sometimes are not the best combination.

“BYO” products have advantages but they need a seasoned, conscious, proactive IT department, always protected by management policies of BYOT, BYOD, BYOA.

If you have to monitor more than 100 devices, you may also enjoy a FREE 30-day Pandora FMS Enterprise TRIAL. Installation in Cloud or On-Premise, you choose !! Get it here.


Last but not least, remember that if you have a reduced number of devices to monitor, you can use the Pandora FMS OpenSource version. Find more information here.


Do not hesitate to send us your questions. Pandora FMS team will be happy to help you!

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 PandoraFMS
Pandora FMS is a flexible monitoring system, capable of monitoring devices, infrastructures, applications, services and business processes.
Of course, one of the things that Pandora FMS can control is the hard disks of your computers.

A SCADAfence Update Regarding The Log4Shell Vulnerability

December 10, 2021, will always be remembered by the security community as the day when a highly critical zero‑day vulnerability was found in the very popular logging library for Java applications, log4j and identified as CVE-2021-44228. Not long after identified the name “Log4Shell” was coined for the exploit and every organization, no matter their size, including every security vendor, quickly rushed to mitigate the zero-day vulnerability within their applications. This patching marathon is still a work in process as we speak.  

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ESET Research: Latin American banking trojans spread to Europe at the height of activity

  • Latin American banking trojans are an ongoing, evolving threat and ESET has recently seen some of their biggest campaigns to date.
  • They target mainly Brazil, Spain, and Mexico.
  • Mekotio and Grandoreiro expanded to Europe, mainly targeting Spain but also Italy, France and Belgium.
  • There are at least eight different malware families still active.
  • In June this year, Spanish law enforcement arrested 16 people related to Mekotio and Grandoreiro.
  • The vast majority (90%) are distributed via spam.

 

BRATISLAVA, PRAGUE — December 15, 2021 — ESET Research is concluding today its blogpost series dedicated to demystifying Latin American banking trojans started in August 2019. Since then, it has covered the most active ones, namely Amavaldo, Casbaneiro,Mispadu, Guildma, Grandoreiro, Mekotio, Vadokrist, Ousaban and Numando. Latin American banking trojans share a lot of common characteristics and behavior. Altogether, ESET has identified a dozen different malware families, most of which remain active to this day. The most significant discovery during the course of this investigation is the expansion of Mekotio and Grandoreiro to Europe, mainly Spain. ESET researchers have also observed occasional small campaigns targeting Italy, France and Belgium. Since Latin American banking trojans expanded to Europe, they have been getting more attention from both researchers and police forces. In the last few months, ESET has seen some of their biggest campaigns to date.

ESET telemetry shows a surprisingly large increase in the reach of Ousaban, Grandoreiro and Casbaneiro in recent months, leading to the conclusion that the threat actors behind these malware families are determined to continue their nefarious actions against users in targeted countries.

The campaigns we see always come in waves and more than 90% of them are distributed through spam, usually leading to a ZIP archive or an MSI installer. One campaign usually lasts for a week at most.

“Brazil is still the most targeted country, followed by Spain and Mexico. Since 2020, Grandoreiro and Mekotio expanded to Europe – mainly Spain. What started as several minor campaigns, likely to test the new territory, evolved into something much bigger. In fact, in August and September 2021, Grandoreiro launched its largest campaign so far and it targeted Spain,” says ESET researcher Jakub Souček, who leads the investigation into Latin American banking trojans.

In June this year, Spanish law enforcement arrested 16 people related to Mekotio and Grandoreiro. In the report, police state that almost €300,000 were stolen and they were able to block the transfer of a total of €3.5 million. Correlating this arrest with Latin American banking trojan activity in Spain, Mekotio seems to have taken a much larger hit than Grandoreiro, leading ESET to believe that the arrested people were more connected to Mekotio. Even though Mekotio went very quiet for almost two months after the arrest, ESET continues to see new campaigns distributing Mekotio.

Latin American banking trojans used to change rapidly. In the early days of ESET’s tracking, some of them were adding to or modifying their core features even several times a month. Nowadays they still change very often, but the core seems to remain mostly untouched. Due to the partially stabilized development, we believe the operators are now focusing on improving distribution.

“Latin American banking trojans require a lot of conditions to attack successfully,” explains Souček. “Potential victims need to follow steps required to install the malware on their machines; they need to visit a targeted website and log into their accounts. On the other side, operators need to react to this situation by manually commanding the malware to display the fake pop-up window and take control of the victim’s machine.”

During the course of this research series, several Latin American banking trojans became inactive, namely, Krachulka, Lokorrito and Zumanek. ESET researchers also discovered Janeleiro, a new Latin American banking trojan. In the future, ESET expects we may see some of these banking trojans expanding to the Android platform.

For more technical details about these Latin American banking trojans, read the blogpost “The dirty dozen of Latin America: From Amavaldo to Zumanek” on WeLiveSecurity. Make sure to follow ESET Research on Twitter for the latest news from ESET Research.

 Top three countries most affected by Latin American banking trojans

Latin American banking trojan activity worldwide

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.

An Overview of Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPL)

Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) was implemented by Royal Decree M/19 of 9/2/1443H (September 16, 2021), which approved Resolution No. 98 of 7/2/1443 H (September 14, 2021). It was published in the Republic Journal on September 24, 2021.

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will oversee the implementation of the new legislation for the first two years, after which a transfer of oversight to the National Data Management Office (NDMO) will be considered. The NDMO is the regulatory arm of SDAIA and had already published interim data governance regulations in 2020, which have now been superseded by the PDPL with regard to the protection of personal data.

According to the SDAIA announcement, the PDPL is intended to ensure the privacy of personal data, regulate data sharing and prevent abuse of personal data in line with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 to develop digital infrastructure and support the innovation to grow a digital economy.

PDPL Enforcement Scope

The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), as well as other legislation on the subject, is designed to protect personal data, that is, any information, in any form, through which a person can be directly or indirectly identified. This expressly includes an individual’s name, identification number, addresses and contact numbers, pictures, and video recordings of the person.

The PDPL applies to any personal data processing by companies or public entities carried out in Saudi Arabia by any means, including the processing of personal data of Saudi residents by entities located outside the Kingdom.

The PDPL does not apply to the processing of personal data for personal and family use.

The PDPL Pillars

Many of the features of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) are consistent with the concepts and principles contained in other international data protection laws, such as:

  • Data Subject Rights: Individuals (data subjects) shall, with some exceptions, have the right to be informed about the processing of personal data and the legal basis for such processing, the right to access their personal data (including to obtain a free copy thereof), the right to correct or update their personal data, and the right to request their destruction if they are no longer necessary. Data subjects can also file complaints related to the PDPL enforcement with the regulatory authority.
  • Registration of Controllers: Organizations that collect personal data and determine the purpose for which they are used and the method of processing (controllers) must register with an electronic portal that will form a national register of controllers. There will be an annual fee payable for registration, to be determined in executive regulations (which will be issued in due course).
  • Controller Obligations: Controllers will be obliged to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and relevance of personal data before processing them, to keep a record of the processing for a period that will be defined by the executive regulations, and to ensure their team is properly trained in the PDPL and data protection principles.
  • Consent: Data subjects may withdraw their consent to the processing of personal data at any time, and consent shall not be a prerequisite for the controller to offer a service or benefit (unless the service or benefit is specifically related to the processing activity for which consent is obtained).
  • Processing not Based on Consent: Notwithstanding the provisions on withdrawal of consent, the PDPL makes it clear that data processing does not always require consent from the data subject. Consent is not required if processing achieves a clear benefit and it is impossible or impractical to contact the data subject, if required by law or prior agreement to which the data subject is a party, or if the controller is an entity and processing is required for security or legal purposes.
  • Privacy Policy: Controllers must implement a privacy policy and make it available to data subjects before the collection of their personal data. The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) establishes the minimum information that must be included in the privacy policy, including when personal data is collected directly from the data subject.
  • Purpose Limitation and Data Minimization: Organizations must make clear the purpose for which personal data is collected and used. Personal data must also be relevant and controllers must limit collection to the minimum necessary to achieve the intended purpose.
  • Impact Assessments: Controllers must assess the impact of processing personal data and, if personal data is no longer needed to achieve the intended purpose, the controller must stop collecting such data.
  • Marketing: Personal data may not be used for marketing purposes without the recipient’s consent or the use of opt-out mechanisms.
  • Breach Notification: Data breaches, leaks, or unauthorized access to personal data must be notified to the supervisory authority, and incidents that cause material damage to the data subject must be notified to the data subjects.

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 Segura®
Segura® strive to ensure the sovereignty of companies over actions and privileged information. To this end, we work against data theft through traceability of administrator actions on networks, servers, databases and a multitude of devices. In addition, we pursue compliance with auditing requirements and the most demanding standards, including PCI DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001 and HIPAA.

GREYCORTEX Releases Security Update to Patch Apache Log4j Vulnerability

GREYCORTEX is actively responding to the reported high severity vulnerability (CVE-2021 – 44228) that was found in the Apache Log4j library. All Mendel installations deployed in the last few years are vulnerable to this vulnerability. The new version, 3.8.0, which will be released in the upcoming days, is not affected and current versions 3.7.x and 3.6.x have now been covered with security updates.

Background

A high severity vulnerability (CVE-2021 – 44228) impacting multiple versions of the Apache Log4j 2 utility was disclosed publicly via the project’s GitHub on December 9, 2021. The vulnerability impacts Apache Log4j 2 versions 2.0 to 2.14.1.

Log4j is used as a component of our GREYCORTEX Mendel product. More information on the vulnerability can be found in the links below.

CVE-2021 – 44228 Detail (NIST)

CVE-2021 – 44228 vulnerability in Apache Log4j library (SecureList)

Is my Mendel deployment vulnerable? 

All Mendel installations deployed in the last few years are affected by this vulnerability but the vulnerable part of the Mendel deployment is NOT exposed to a direct Internet connection.

What can I do to mitigate and resolve this issue?

GREYCORTEX has actively responded to the reported remote code execution vulnerability in the Apache Log4j 2 Java library, dubbed Log4Shell (or LogJam). We have investigated and taken action regarding our product GREYCORTEX Mendel. The new version 3.8.0, which will be released in the upcoming days, is not affected and current versions 3.7.x and 3.6.x are now covered with security updates, which are automatically distributed through the update server.

Older systems will not be patched, customers who are using older versions are strongly advised to upgrade.

Mitigations: if you are not able to upgrade to the newer version or your Mendel instance does not have access to the update server, then please restrict access to Mendel via your firewall settings. It is recommended to restrict access only to a trustworthy IP address range, also for normal operations.

How can I find out if my Mendel system or other systems of our customers have been compromised?

Mendel includes a set of detection rules that can detect whether a vulnerability in the Apache Log4j logging framework has been exploited to attack the Mendel system itself or other systems in your infrastructure. These rules are automatically available through the GREYCORTEX update server. If your Mendel instance or your customer instance is online, these signatures will be added to it automatically.

Scale Computing Customer Edge Data Center Project Named a Finalist in 2021 DCD>Awards

INDIANAPOLIS – December 7, 2021 – Scale Computing, a market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that Data Center Dynamics has named the company’s work with Ahold Delhaize NV and Econocom Products & Solutions as a finalist in the 2021 DCD>Awards, in the Edge Data Center Project of the Year category.

According to DCD, the edge is now moving from the era of promise to the era of delivery. Driven by higher standards of connectivity and increasing sophistication of systems and hardware, the Edge Data Center Project of the Year award category seeks to feature how edge is evolving and diversifying while redefining the opportunities that technology can represent.

Ahold Delhaize, a world-leading food retailer with 6,700 stores worldwide, needed a complete infrastructure refresh to replace aging hardware. They wanted a simple, cost effective edge computing solution with easy deployment. At phase one, Delhaize implemented Scale Computing HC3 Edge platform on Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 and Scale Computing HE150 servers in their 800 stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. By doing so, Delhaize reduced management time by 75% and improved recovery time by 99.9%. Scale Computing HC3 Edge provides a comprehensive system that automates the overall IT management, saving organizations time, money, and resources. Delhaize experienced no downtime in any store where HC3 Edge is implemented.

Alongside simplified management, Scale Computing’s HC3 also offers a comprehensive range of recovery and Data Protection features which have enabled Delhaize to improve disaster recovery. With snapshots, replication and regular back up testing, the HC3 Edge platform also offers business continuity.

Technology is everywhere, and it’s increasingly important that edge computing be able to support applications anytime, anywhere

“Technology is everywhere, and it’s increasingly important that edge computing be able to support applications anytime, anywhere,” said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder of Scale Computing. “Edge computing plays a critical role in the retail industry’s IT innovation and digital transformation strategies. Made for the IT infrastructure demands of retail stores, HC3 Edge is a powerful, all-in-one software platform designed for running applications at the edge, and we’re thrilled that our work with Delhaize was named a finalist in the DCD Awards.”

This announcement comes on the heels of other recent industry recognition, including:

  • Scale Computing’s HC3 Video Surveillance named a winner for the 2021 CRN Tech Innovator Awards in the Edge Computing category.

  • Scale Computing named on CRN’s 2021 Edge Computing 100 list.

  • Winner in both the Edge Computing category and the Converged/ HyperConverged Infrastructure category, of the 2021 CRN Annual Report Card (ARC) Awards. This is the third consecutive year Scale Computing has been recognized as a CRN ARC Award winner.

  • Scale Computing HC3 received two TrustRadius 2021 Top Rated Awards, in Hyperconverged Infrastructure and Server Virtualization.

  • Scale Computing received a 5-Star rating in CRN’s 2021 Partner Program Guide.

  • Scale Computing’s HE150 was named to SearchStorage’s 2020 Storage Products of the Year.

An independent panel of judges reviewed hundreds of entries submitted from 35 different countries across 6 continents. Winners will be announced on December 8 at the 15th annual awards ceremony in London and broadcast live worldwide.

CyberLink’s facial recognition engine FaceMe® to power LILIN’s connected devices, providing businesses with contactless access control management and visitor analytics

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – July 28 2020 – CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a pioneer in AI and facial recognition technologies, today announced it has formed a partnership with surveillance solution provider LILIN, leveraging new facial recognition technologies to create comprehensive smart security and retail solutions. CyberLink will license its FaceMe® facial recognition engine to LILIN, powering its NAV Facial Recognition Recorder, creating an all-in-one smart security, data analysis and warning solution.

With the combined technologies, LILIN’s connected video devices can provide businesses with a series of contactless solutions, such as granting verified personnel access to restricted areas within offices, factories or residential buildings through an opt-in photo identification system. The new offering can also provide retailers and hospitality operators with anonymized customer demographics to better understand their customer experience, such as identifying trending emotions patrons may feel when engaged in specific activities or visiting certain areas of a venue.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop across the globe, CyberLink’s and LILIN’s joint facial recognition system uniquely provides businesses seeking contactless solutions the underlying technology to reduce the need for people to touch highly shared surfaces by replacing key cards or PIN passwords with biometric data.

“If there was ever a field worthy of continued research and innovation, it’s security,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “Without a doubt, LILIN is a global leader and manufacturer of IoT devices, and CyberLink is a worldwide pioneer developing facial recognition applications for connected devices. Together, we are setting a new standard for what makes a place secure by bringing to market new technologies that make our customers safer, and our businesses smarter.”

“LILIN has many years of smart security experience, providing insight into the market’s needs for creating a comprehensive intelligent security solution. LILIN is pleased to partner with CyberLink and integrates FaceMe® into our facial recognition system to strengthen smart retail, smart healthcare, smart factory, and smart business applications. Through continued efforts, I believe that LILIN will provide the most advanced total security solution for global customers.” said Mr. C.C. Hsu, LILIN’s President.

CyberLink and LILIN will host a webinar titled “Facial Recognition x Smart Security

Empowering Smart AIoT Applications”” on August 13, 2020 from 14:00-15:00 (GMT+8/Taipei time), further describing the many use cases enabled through the new product offering. For detailed event information and a registration link, please visit: https://is.gd/SfXQ7l

FaceMe’s® edge-based architecture empowers powerful, efficient processing, and higher levels of security compared to Cloud-based solutions. It supports more than 10 operating systems, including Windows, Android, iOS, and various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu x86, Ubuntu ARM, RedHat, CentOS, Yocto, Debian and JetPack. FaceMe’s® high accuracy, flexibility and security makes it the leading facial recognition engine available on the market today, and it is one of the world’s most accurate engines as deemed by the global standard NIST Facial Recognition Vendor Test.

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