WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” US officials recommend encrypted messaging apps amid "Salt Typhoon" cyberattack, attributed to China, targeting AT&T, Verizon, and others. The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel was allegedly the target of cyberattack attempt by Iranian-backed hackers. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online. Picture this: You're on vacation in a city abroad, exploring museums, tasting the local cuisine, and people-watching at cafés. Everything is going perfectly until you get a series of alerts on your phone. Someone is making fraudulent charges using your credit card, sending you into a panic. How could this have happened? Cyberattacks targeting travelers are nothing new. But as travel has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the volume of hackers and cybercriminals preying upon tourists. Financial fraud is the most common form of cybercrime experienced by travelers, but surveillance via public Wi-Fi networks, social media hacking, and phishing scams are also common, according to a survey by ExpressVPN . Spokeo consulted cybersecurity sources and travel guides to determine some of the best ways to protect your phone while traveling, from using a VPN to managing secure passwords. Online attacks are not the only type of crime impacting travelers—physical theft of phones is also a threat. Phones have become such invaluable travel aids, housing our navigation tools, digital wallets, itineraries, and contacts, that having your phone stolen, lost, or compromised while abroad can be devastating. Meanwhile, traveling can make people uniquely vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks due to common pitfalls like oversharing on social media and letting your guard down when it comes to taking risks online. Luckily, there are numerous precautions travelers can take to safeguard against cyberattacks and phone theft. Hackers can—and do—target public Wi-Fi networks at cafés and hotels to gain access to your personal information or install malware onto your device, particularly on unsecured networks. Travelers are especially vulnerable to these types of cybersecurity breaches because they are often more reliant on public Wi-Fi than they would be in their home countries where they have more robust phone plans. This reliance on public, unsecured networks means travelers are more likely to use those networks to perform sensitive tasks like financial transfers, meaning hackers can easily gain access to banking information or other passwords. One easy way to safeguard yourself against these breaches is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, while traveling. VPNs are apps that encrypt your data and hide your location, preventing hackers from accessing personal information. An added bonus is that VPNs allow you to access websites that may be blocked or unavailable in the country you are visiting. To use a VPN, simply download a VPN app on your phone or computer, create an account, choose a server, and connect. Pickpockets, scammers, and flagrant, snatch-your-phone-right-out-of-your-hand thieves can be found pretty much everywhere. In London, for instance, a staggering 91,000 phones were reported stolen to police in 2022 , breaking down to an average of 248 per day, according to the BBC. Whether you're visiting a crowded tourist attraction or just want peace of mind, travel experts advise taking precautions to make sure your phone isn't physically stolen or compromised while traveling. There are several antitheft options to choose from. If you want a bag that will protect your phone from theft, experts recommend looking for features like slash-resistant fabric, reinforced shoulder straps, hidden zippers that can be locked, and secure attachment points, like a cross-body strap or a sturdy clip. For tethers, look for those made of tear-resistant material with a reinforced clip or ring. If your phone falls into the wrong hands, there's a good chance you won't be getting it back. Out of those 91,000 phones stolen in London in 2022, only 1,915 (or about 2%) were recovered. The good news is that you can take precautions to make the loss of your phone less devastating by backing up your data before you travel. With backed-up data, you can acquire a new device and still access your photos, contacts, messages, and passwords. Moreover, if you have "Find My Device" or "Find My Phone" enabled, you can remotely wipe your stolen phone's data so the thief cannot access it. It's safest to back up your data to a hard drive and not just the cloud. That way, if you have to wipe your device, you don't accidentally erase the backup, too. In order for the previous tip on this list to work, "Find My Phone" must be turned on in advance, but remotely wiping your device isn't the only thing this feature allows you to do. The "Find My Phone" feature enables you to track your device, as long as it's turned on and not in airplane mode. This is particularly helpful if you misplaced your phone or left it somewhere since it can help you retrace your steps. While this feature won't show you the live location of a phone that has been turned off, it will show the phone's last known location. With "Find My Phone," you can also remotely lock your phone or enable "Lost Mode," which locks down the phone, suspends any in-phone payment methods, and displays contact information for returning the phone to you. If your phone was stolen, experts caution against taking matters into your own hands by chasing down the thief, since this could land you in a potentially dangerous situation and is unlikely to result in getting your phone back. Strong passwords for important accounts help protect your information while you travel, but it's just a first step. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends creating long, unique, and complex passwords for every account and combining them with multifactor authentication to create maximum barriers to entry. If you're worried about remembering these passwords, password managers can be a vital tool for both creating and storing strong passwords. Password managers are apps that act as secure vaults for all your passwords. Some even come with a feature that allows you to temporarily delete sensitive passwords before you travel and then easily restore them once you return. Story editing by Mia Nakaji Monnier. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Epic Lanka, recently attended the World Financial Innovation Series – Indonesia’s foremost financial sector event in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event comprising over 1,000 participants provided Epic a platform to demonstrate its comprehensive suite of fintech solutions, including advanced card payment systems, authentication technologies, payment security measures, business process automation, and dynamic workflow solutions. The World Financial Innovation Series (WFIS) Indonesia is an annual financial sector event that powers a meeting of FSI leaders, financial experts, technology moguls and government regulators to discuss and analyse the prevailing state of developments concerning the country’s financial realm. Under the theme “Accelerating Indonesia’s Financial Revolution”, the event witnessed many technology and business heads, top C-suite professionals, senior executives, key decision makers and many more crucial profiles from the largest banks, insurance companies and micro-finance institutions across Asia. Epic has previous experience developing solutions for banks and financial institutions in Asia. With a reputation for transforming the banking landscape in Malaysia with its revolutionary Branchless Banker solution and for introducing revolutionary grassroots fintech solutions to the Singapore banking sector, WFIS allowed the Epic team to enhance and extend its footprint in East Asia. The company’s 20 cutting-edge products are developed to serve multiple areas of the fintech ecosystem such as debt collection, customer relationship management, network access control, mobile banking, omnichannel digital communication, and customer onboarding. Epic Lanka Managing Director and CEO Viraj Mudalige said: “Epic’s reputation as an innovative software company is recognised not just in Sri Lanka, but also in East Asia. Over the past 26 years, we have transformed into a dynamic product solutions company and are aggressively expanding our footprint across Asia and the APAC region.” “The World Financial Innovation Series in Jakarta has provided us with a unique platform to interact with the top decision-makers from leading banks and share knowledge. East Asia has captured the spotlight of the fintech world. The quality and sophistication level of products and solutions developed here is world-class. We hope to promote our cutting-edge solutions to international companies to match our success in Sri Lanka in East Asia and be on par with IT giants in Asia.”The Republic of Korea, represented by Ambassador Miyon Lee, officially handed over Sri Lanka’s first-ever floating solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants located at the Chandrika Wewa and Kiriibban Wewa reservoirs. This ground-breaking renewable energy initiative marks a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s transition toward sustainable energy solutions. Key attendees included Additional Secretary of Ministry of Power and Energy Tharshini Prashanth, and Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) Chairman Prof. T.M.W.J. Bandara. The $ 5 million project, funded by the Korean Government since 2022, was developed in collaboration with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and implemented by Yooshin Engineering and Bosung Powertec. Each floating solar photovoltaic power plant, capable of generating 1MW, uses reservoir surfaces, conserving land resources while reducing environmental impact. During her address, Ambassador Lee underscored Korea’s enduring support for Sri Lanka’s renewable energy goals and highlighted the alignment with global objectives outlined at COP28. She also expressed enthusiasm for finalising the Climate Change Cooperation Agreement between the two nations. “As Sri Lanka’s fourth-largest bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) partner, Korea remains committed to supporting the country’s energy journey through innovative and sustainable solutions,” said Ambassador Lee. “This project will serve as a foundation for broader and deeper collaboration between our two nations in years to come.” The Embassy said this transformative project exemplifies the growing partnership between Korea and Sri Lanka, emphasising a shared vision for advancing green energy, climate resilience, and a sustainable future.
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Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and QOC Secretary-General HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain met with the recently elected President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) President Fabio Azevedo in Doha on Wednesday. During the meeting, the development of volleyball in Qatar was discussed as the QOC expressed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the FIVB and contributing to the delivery of the FIVB Strategic Plan 2032 with the motto “Together as One”empowering Global Volleyball Movement. The QOC President, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani appreciated Doha’s hosting of the Beach Pro Tour Finals, highlighting its significant role in enhancing the sport’s popularity and elevating its technical and skill standards across all age groups throughout the Middle East. Qatar has a strong history in the sport, particularly beach volleyball, with Doha regularly hosting the Beach Pro Tour.Doha has successfully hosted 2024 WAVA U20 Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship recently and now is hostingthe Beach Pro Tour Finals at Aspire Park. Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan also claimed bronze for Qatar at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. President Azevedo was in Doha this week for a number of volleyball initiatives delivered in partnership with the Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) and FIVB Volleyball Foundation. The ‘Women in Sports: Creating Pathways’ Seminar was held on 2 December in Education City Stadium. Organised in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, QVA, and the FIVB, it featured international administrators, Olympians and Olympic medallists, who came together to discuss important topics surrounding women’s roles in sports. On 3 December a mass participation volleyball event was held for more than 100 children at the Al Gharafa Beach Complex. Copy 05/12/2024 10From left, Department of Industrial Technology Director-General Chiou Chyou-huey, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo, Industrial Development Administration Director Yang Chih-chin, and Small and Medium Enterprise Startup Administration Director-General Lee Guann-jyh attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Liao Chia-ning, Taipei Times AMENDMENTS:High-end tech collaborations with big companies rely on years of research, and a lack of government budget could delay their progress, an official said By Lisa Wang / Staff reporter 請繼續往下閱讀... The amendments to a budget law could undercut Taiwan’s artificial intelligence (AI) and technology development projects with global tech giants, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. After the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) passed the legislature on Friday, the ministry expects a budget deficit of NT$30 billion (US$918.3 million), including NT$11.6 billion in technology research subsidies, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) told a media briefing. That would affect the ministry’s collaboration with the world’s major semiconductor companies, including Nvidia Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD), Micron Technology Inc, ASML Holding NV, Lam Research Corp and Synopsys Inc to bring new technologies to Taiwan, Kuo said. Micron plans to produce high-bandwidth memory chips at its Taiwan site, while Nvidia and AMD would set up new research and development (R&D) centers in the nation, Department of Industrial Technology Director-General Chiou Chyou-huey (邱求慧) said. Such collaborations are essential parts of AI development in Taiwan, he said. Those projects rely on years of research and technology deployment, and a lack of government budget could delay their progress, Chiou said. The ministry has granted Nvidia NT$6.7 billion in subsidies for its AI innovation center in Taiwan from 2022 to 2027, while AMD is to receive NT$3.31 billion in subsidies for its new R&D center, the ministry said. Nvidia and AMD are major customers of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), while Lam Research and ASML are key equipment suppliers to it. Taiwan could risk damaging its reputation and losing its appeal to foreign investors if it cannot honor the contracts signed with foreign firms, Chiou said. The ministry said that its efforts to support an F16 jet maintenance center, a space industry development program, and 6G industry and talent cultivation programs could be affected negatively. The new government fund allocation rules would lead to allocation of NT$10 billion for a public construction budget and NT$7.44 billion in general spending, it said. To cope with budget cuts, local governments should shoulder the responsibility of building flood prevention systems, water supply systems spanning administrative regions, as the ministry can no longer afford those expenses, it said. Micro, small and medium-sized businesses would also face a lack of subsidies, it added. 新聞來源: TAIPEI TIMES 不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The trifecta for holiday shoppers is almost here: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all just days away. The big box stores are offering big deals as usual, but as you're shopping this holiday season, remember to shop local and shop small as much as you can. You'll get a personal experience, find unique items and you'll be putting money directly into your community. The owners of Vault and Vine , a gift shop, florist, and café, are on pins and needles as we move into the official holiday shopping season. "Nervous because for a lot of small businesses, Small Business Saturday is make or break for an entire year," said Vault and Vine co-owner Diana Baye. "If we don't do well during the holiday season, we don't make it to January." So to draw shoppers in, small businesses are offering deals. "We're offering double loyalty on Small Business Saturday," said Baye. That means 10% back on your purchase that you can spend any time. Plus, you get unique items, many of them handmade, you can't find anyplace else. "Three-quarters of all retail businesses in Center City are independent. They don't have locations in other cities. They're not the brands that you would find at a mall," said Clint Randall, Vice President of Economic Development of the Center City District . And to shop at a great cluster of small businesses, just head to Dilworth Park for the Made in Philadelphia Market . "It's called Made in Philadelphia for a reason, right? Every single vendor in that Dilworth Park market is a Philadelphia vendor. There's, I think, about 50 of them," said Randall. "A lot of them are already doing, you know, 'Black Friday sales,' which will then become, you know, a Small Business Saturday sale, and they're there through the whole holiday season." Baye's message to people who shop only at national big box chains? "If everyone keeps doing that, that is going to be your only option. There will be no small businesses. There will be no variety," she says. And eventually, Baye warns, "Those low prices that you enjoy, eventually they go up because they're the only game in town." And shoppers in Center City have their pick of stores to choose from. The Center City District says the number of retailers has increased 15% over the last five years and about 83% of all storefronts are occupied.
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