SNS under attack

Just the other day, Chief and I were watching “Eagle Eye” on HBO. Many of us remember this 2008 film with Shia LaBeouf (Jerry Shaw) and Michelle Monaghan (Rachel Holloman), as a pair who are brought together and coerced to an anonymous female (ARRIA). The plots revolves around a possible terrorist attack but this time, it is a super computer who through cyberspace coordinates action that leads Jerry and Rachel into the halls of the Capitol Bldg. Billy Bob Thornton plays FBI agent Thomas Morgan who towards the end believes Jerry. He charges into a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to help Jerry escape.

Today, realities of cyberattacks are happening around the world. Last year, news media, financial and government websites in South Korea felt coordinated attacks through cyberspace. The BBC News reported at least a 3rd wave of attacks last 09 July 2009. The report says, it was a "denial of service" attack” wherein virus-infected computers are hijacked and simultaneously directed to a particular site, overwhelming it with the sheer volume of traffic. Last October 30, 2009, the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's spy agency, pointed to North Korea's telecommunications ministry as the origin of the attacks. Someone like John McClane can be part of this unit? Remember in Die Hard 4.0 McClane fought off cyber terrorists. Photo from http://www.deseretnews.com

Even the website of DOH was hacked into last December. Hackers changed the photo of Secretary Duque. The TESDA site was also traffic was redirected to Smartmatic, who is supplying the poll machines for the May elections. A hacker also posted Arabic messages on the DOLE website. Also last year, hackers targeted three government websites namely: Department of Justice, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council. Their traffic was redirected to another website.

According the latest study by Sophos, there also has been a rise of cyberattacks in social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The study revealed that 57 percent of online social network users reported getting spam in their virtual communities. This was a 70.6 percent jump from last year.

"Computer users are spending more time on social networks, sharing sensitive and valuable personal information, and hackers have sniffed out where the money is to be made," said Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley.

Already Facebook is working with McAfee increase protection for its members, who now number around 350 million. That won’t be an easy task for the security team at Facebook. According to a news report, Facebook members are also “being offered free six-month subscriptions to McAfee security software and then discounted prices for continued service.”

Better safe than sorry. Thus, it always best to use security software, whether it be McAfee Virus Scan or Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus. Or get an external hard drive to back up your data. If you are a Mac use, get an iOmega EGO!




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Toyota recalls cars!

I recall Paris. Not the city but the old Toyota Silver Edition, with Plate Numbers CET 931 that I used to drive back in the mid-90s. Those were the CITEM years. Paris would be parked in front of Hall 3, International Trade Center. Besides Paris, Rene Sale would park his Galant and Kaye Tyapon her Toyota Rav 4. Where is Paris now? Really don’t know. But Paris is definitely not among the thousands of Toyotas being recalled by the Japanese company.

Last January 21, 2010, Toyota announced the recall of 2.3 million (and counting) vehicles which includes Camrys and Corolla. Chief used to drive a Corolla. Other models or types involved in the recall, with a specific pedal assembly, are:
Certain 2009-2010 Corolla, Certain 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, Certain 2007-2010 Camry, Certain 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia. Forbes Magazine reports that the eight suspended models account for 57% of the company’s U.S. sales.

According to the website, there are two safety recalls, the “Floor Mat Entrapment” which could interfere with the accelerator pedal and “cause it to get stuck in the wide open position” and the “Pedal” where a there is a possibility that “certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.”

Last January 26, the company also suspended sales of the eight models involved in the recall on January 26.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive," said Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, TMS. "We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right.

2.3 million cars means X amount of man-hours that Toyota dealers, mechanics and production people will work on to fix the problem. But the problem isn’t just mechanical. But from a communication’s standpoint, a crisis situation. Would be interesting to know and learn what is happening inside boardrooms as both Toyota and its advertising and PR agencies work out strategies to resolve this crisis.

Toyota is expected to lose millions of dollars. It would be tough to measure how this recall would affect its corporate image and reputation.



The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says “it has no proof that anyone was injured by a stuck pedal.” It said it has confirmed to its satisfaction that five people have died as a result of floor mat entrapment. But lawsuits are coming down the road for the Japanese auto giant. At least 10 lawsuits seeking class-action status have been filed U.S. and Canada against Toyota .

Already, it has come out with full-page ads which says that what is happening is pause "to put you first." Lentz has also and will continue to make the rounds of morning and news shows. "This is embarrassing for us to have ... this kind of recall situation," Lentz told reporters. "But it doesn't necessarily mean that we have lost our edge on quality. But we do have to be vigilant. We have to redouble

When I used to teach PR in St. Paul College, Quezon City, I used the 1982 Johnson and Johnson Tylenol case as part of my crisis management lectures. It was a good case study of how the brand effectively handled a crisis. Now, we have tamper-resistant packaging because of that incident. But let us not forget 6 persons lost their lives as they took cyanide-spiked Tylenol.

While technology can fix this problem mechanically, a strong and convincing communications campaign would be needed for the customers and various stakeholders to bring back their trust and confidence on the Toyota brand.

Now, I will have to give it a second thought before getting a new Rav 4. Hey Neal Tieng, better have the pedals of your Rav 4 checked too!

If you are driving a Toyota, it would be best to you’re your dealer or visit toyota for more info and updates.

Chinese cyber attacks

Maybe, Google should make good it’s threat to leave China after cyber attacks aimed at Chinese human rights activists.

While China could be the biggest internet market, due to its sheer size and population, if its leaders don’t respect basic human and intellectual rights, then, big business should not contribute to harm and pain that Chinese government inflicts on its workers and netizens.

We all know the sweat shops across China that pay below living standards salaries, the fake products from mobile phones to luxury items around the flea markets and tiangges and the controversies from the recent Olympic Games. And we won’t definitely the images during the Tiananmen massacre.

Photo by Jason Lee of Reuters shows a Chinese Google user delivers a bouquet of flowers outside the Google China headquarters in Beijing January 14, 2010.

Google chief legal officer David Drummond said in a blog post. "These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China"

David is SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer for Google.

The internet giant also reported that accounts of China human rights activists who use Gmail in China have been "routinely accessed" by using malware sneaked onto their computers.

Talking to SMEs

I first learned about Thakral when I was still living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnan. So, when Sheila Rada of Dominguez Marketing Communications mentioned about the “Thakral Group 2010 Kick-off” media event, memories of Vietnam flashed into my mind.

Although, we didn’t win the pitch for their business (Seiko watches) in Vietnam, it was a learning experience for me. In fact, every new business pitch is a learning experience as one gets to know about brands and business sectors.

Last Tuesday night, at Cyma Restaurant, in the heart of Greenbelt, again, I got to learn about Thakral’s new capital investments and focus on SMEs. The Thakral Group wouldn’t be the first or last company to focus or work with SMEs. So, how will Thakral work with Filipino SMEs?

“We want to focus on the dynamic SME market to help them be more competitive and efficient with our best-of-breed products and value-added services offerings,” explains, Bikram Singh Thakral. He says he is part of the 4th generation from the Thakral family.

The Thakral Group is a $1.5 billion company! I never really realized Thakral was that big! In Vietnam, I knew them as a the exclusive distributor of Seiko and Rado watches. I remember when I visited their office along Dong Khoi Street, the ground floor was a showroom for watches while the marketing team occupied the second floor.

Today the Thakral Group operates in close to 35 countries, and employs in excess of 10,000 people worldwide. It has business interests in distribution of IT products, provision of value-added IT services, Retail, Real Estate, Textile & Manufacturing.

It started its operations in 1997 with its current flagship company Technopaq Philippines. The company has achieved great success in the Philippines where they formed strategic partnerships with some of today’s IT giants such as IBM, Microsoft and Oracle.

“We have Filipino managers working for us in Vietnam,” says Thakral. I wouldn’t be surprised as the Filipino expat community in Saigon is a growing community.

“Thakral Group recognizes the world-class talents of Filipinos and the advantages of making them part of the organization — not only here in the Philippines but also in our operations overseas,” Thakral explains.

In the Philippines, Thakral has brought in some of the brightest IT talents. Teddy Sumulong who used to be with EMC now heads Thakral’s flagship company, Technopaq Philippines, as General Manager.

Dittas A. Formoso is another local IT industry veteran who is now part of the Thakral team. She holds a dual role as the newly appointed Senior Management Advisor of Thakral Group in the Philippines and OIC General Manager, Raffles Solutions.

With IT veterans like Teddy and Dittas, we can see a stronger presence Thakral in the Philippines.

“The global economy is steadily getting back on the road to recovery and we see the same for the Philippines, if not at a quicker pace. Thakral Group, through its subsidiaries, is ready to address the IT needs of the large enterprise and the thriving SME sector,” Thakral closes.

Yahoo! Top Searches in 2009

How was 2009 for you? I guess we can say that it was a good year for the Philippines as Manny Pacquiao made us all proud! Cheers to Manny! Am sure that if Manny wins his fight in March and even snatches the congressional post in May, he will again be the top Yahoo! search in 2010.

Manny Pacquiao didn’t only make us proud but her also topped Yahoo! Philippines Search Terms for 2009! This annual review highlights the top Searches and trends on Yahoo!. It also presents ways how Filipinos use the Web to find information.


Note that the late President Cory Aquino and master rapper Francis Magalona were in second and third place. Their lives and their death definitely caused spikes for their names in Yahoo!


Top overall search terms for Philippines in 2009:
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Cory Aquino
3. Francis Magalona
4. Ondoy
5. Dionisia Pacquiao
6. Shalani Soledad
7. Eraserheads
8. University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
9. Mar and Korina
10.Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)

The top celebrity searches in The Philippines also included: Maricar Reyes, Angel Locsin, Sandara Park, Pamela Bianca Manalo, Kris Aquino, Marian Rivera, Michael Jackson, Coco Martin, Anne Curtis and Judy Ann Santos

The top mobile searches for Philippines included:
1. NBA
2. Katrina Halili
3. Manny Pacquiao
4. Marian Rivera
5. Hayden Kho
6. Francis Magalona
7. Citigroup
8. Michael Jackson
9. Cory Aquino
10. PBA

A global video on the Yahoo! Year in Review Rewind (global) can be seen at this link

Cash or checks? Or Cheque?

Can you imagine a bank that doesn’t issue out checkbooks to its clients? Well, by 2018, checks will be jurassic, at least in Great Britain. The Board of the UK Payment Council has announced that the check clearing system will clear its last check on October 31, 2018.

Again, technology has pushed a traditional mode of payment into the history books. The use of debit cards, credit cards, and other forms of electronic payment systems (EPS) has grown in popularity. Salaries are often debited directly into one’s bank account. UST has stopped using checks to pay salaries of its professors. Now, the money goes straight into one’s Security Bank account, conveniently located within the campus. Gosh, I just encashed one check earlier at Security Bank.

According to the UK Payment Council, fewer people are using checks as mode of payment in that country. From 10.9 million checks in the 90s, only 3.8 million checks were paid out daily in Britain. Countries like Sweden and Norway have phased out the use of checks in their financial systems.

Locally, according to the PCHC, it processes a daily average of 682,915 Integrated and Inter-regional clearing items with annual count of 337,384,486 physical inward and outward checks. That includes our Security Bank check payments for our condo. The PCHC is the only clearing house in the Philippines.

Noel Barcena says, “Next to cash, checks are instruments most used for payments. PCHC primary role is to provide and maintain an efficient, economical and effective medium of exchange of cheques and other electronic payment items amongst its member banks.” Noel is the VP for Operations of PCHC. He provided me with insights about PCHC and BCPs (business continuity plans) as part of a feature story on business continuity for the Philippine Business Magazine.

There is some concern that if checks are eventually phased out as a form of payment, the older segment of the population who are not like BayanTel’s Lola Techie could be easier targets for thieves. Why? The elder people could be keeping large amount of cash at their homes.

It is generally believed that the Romans used an early form of check called “praescriptiones” during the 1st century BC. Banks in Persia, were also known to have issued letters of credit known as “Ṣakks.”

Did you know that checks during the 1600s were exchanged in coffee houses?

Now, I have to keep those old Far East And Trust Company (FEBTC) and Urban Bank checks I have. They could become rare memorabilia twenty years from now! I hope the BSP doesn't move towards a check-less society as checks are still a convenient and hassle-free mode of payment.

Doing more, with less

Like me, you probably also have too much information on your laptop. Which is one reason why am looking for an iOmega EGO external hard drive. Anyone know where I can find one?

According to the latest IDC Digital Universe White Paper, sponsored by EMC, there has been a five-fold growth in four years of digital information. Yup, that includes digital pictures we upload on Facebook or Friendster or music we buy and download from iTunes. And the more affordable costs of digital gadgets and equipments has contributed to the increase of digital information.

The study reveals that next year, 70% of information in the digital universe will be created by individuals like you and me. This study examined how IT departments were coping with the growth (or rather the boom) of information and how money was being allocated to manage corporate data. From the 405 respondents, 92 were from the financial, manufacturing, telco and energy sectors in the Philippines.

“Within the Philippines’ telecoms industry, the challenge is now about which telco can offer the most value-added and creative content in order to expand consumer offering that provide end to end solutions on the go,” says Ronnie Latinazo, Country Manager, EMC Philippines. I am sure both Globe and Smart are fighting toe to toe to get these value-added and creative content to their subscribers. Unless, you see a network out of coverage reach message.

For companies, there would be an increasing need for security, compliance and preservation of digital information. A key element in the IDC study showed that data security is still a missing key element in information management strategies. From the total 405 respondents, some companies still don’t have data security policies in place.

“Companies are under tremendous pressures to achieve higher levels of efficiency with existing technology that have now because IT budgets are often reduced or unchanged despite an increase in demand for constant upgrades,” says Latinazo. Yup, we have heard of “doing more, with less.” Given the tough economic times, IT budgets are really being affected.

Sometimes, with reduced IT budgets, companies face a continuing challenge on the customer front. Respondents from the five countries who were part of the IDC survey (Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India) say that “they need to deploy technological products and services in more innovative and strategic ways.”

My IT budget? Around 5,000 pesos for an Iomega eGo™ Portable Hard Drive. Anyone know where I can get one? Preferably colored red. Has multiple connections too!, one FireWire® 800 port, one FireWire 400 port, one USB 2.0 port and offers interface versatility for Mac users like me.