Forcepoint 2016 Global Threat Report: Evasion, Insider Threats, and Ransomware Advance; New “Jaku” Botnet Targets Asia
AUSTIN, Texas—April 26, 2016 — Forcepoint, a global leader in empowering organizations to drive business forward through transformative security technologies, today released the Forcepoint® 2016 Global Threat Report, detailing some of the latest evolving threats, gathered from more than three billion data points per day in 155 countries around the world.
This year’s report analyzes the impact of:
- A brand new botnet campaign that Forcepoint is calling “Jaku” that was discovered as a result of a 6-month investigation by Forcepoint’s Special Investigations (SI) team
- A new crop of opportunistic ransomware, anti-malware tools and issues caused by the ever-dissolving perimeter that are posing serious challenges to cybersecurity professionals and the organizations they aim to protect
- Increases in data breaches caused by both malicious and “accidental” insiders
- Inconsistent security controls between cloud providers and businesses, which are complicating data protection
- The continuing convergence of email and web attack vectors as nine out of ten unwanted emails contain one or more URLs and millions of malicious macros are being sent
“The rapid evolution of the cyber threat environment has consequences that are much broader than just technical, operational, and financial – they can impact every piece of a business,” said Forcepoint Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Ford. “With this Threat Report, we want to demystify these threats and help enable businesses with tools, recommendations and, quite simply, knowledge, so they can continue to move forward without fear.”
The Forcepoint 2016 Global Threat Report details multiple behavioral and technique-based trends and provides guidance on today’s most impactful threats to assist security professionals in planning their cybersecurity defense strategy.
Top findings include:
- Malicious content in email increased 250% compared to 2014, driven largely by malware and ransomware
- The United States hosts more phishing websites than all others countries combined
- Ransomware focus is sharpening, targeting countries, economies and industries where a high ransom is more likely to be paid
- “Insiders” – malicious and accidental – represent the biggest threat to company security and the one for which businesses feel least prepared
- Advanced evasion techniques are gaining in popularity and are combining multiple evasion methods, such as IP fragmentation and TCP segmentation, to create new ways to bypass access controls, attack watering holes and disguise traffic
The Forcepoint 2016 Global Threat Report data was collected and evaluated using the Threatseeker® Intelligence Cloud, working behind-the-scenes 24x7x365 to provide Forcepoint visibility into the very latest threats. The Forcepoint team provided expert interpretation, with researchers and engineers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America performing interviews and investigations that examined attack activity and its impact across the full Kill Chain.
To download the Forcepoint 2016 Global Threat Report, visit www.forcepoint.com/threatreport. For ongoing research updates, be sure to follow the Forcepoint Security Labs blog at https://blogs.forcepoint.com/security-labs.
Integreon Recognised in 2015 IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 List® of the World’s Best Outsourcing Service Providers
PRESS RELEASE
MUMBAI – 17 February 2015 – Integreon, a leading global provider of outsourced legal, document, business and research support, has been recognised as one the world’s best outsourcing service providers in the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP) 2015 Global Outsourcing 100®. This marks the fifth consecutive year Integreon has been recognised by the IAOP and the second time in the last three years the firm has been named to the prestigious Global Outsourcing 100 list.
Integreon was selected after a rigorous IAOP process that weighs firms based on four criteria: size and growth, delivery excellence, programs for innovation and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion in the Global Outsourcing 100 follows a year of continued strong growth and performance for Integreon, as supported by high client satisfaction scores and growing worldwide demand for the firm’s outsourcing services.
Key highlights from Integreon’s last 12 months include:
- Expansion at five of the firm’s twelve global delivery centres – including those in New York; London; Fargo; Manila, Philippines and Noida (Delhi), in addition to other infrastructure investments, as the firm has grown its operations to meet increasing client demand.
- Development of innovative, new services for legal, document, business and research support, most recently Simplicity™ and Simplicity Plus™ for managed discovery.
- Industry recognition at LegalWeek’s 2014 British Legal Awards, in Chambers Global 2014, as a 2014 “Best Overall LPO” by India Business Law Journal, and in accolades from other respected publications and industry analysts from around the world.
- Fostering best practices and innovation across the industry through the firm’s Centre for Legal Services Innovation and worldwide support of the FT Innovative Lawyers program in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
- Continuing certification to stringent ISO information security and quality management standards, including a recently upgraded certification of its Manila delivery centre to the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 security standard.
- A growing corporate social responsibility program, notably including Project Edu-Lync, which uses video conferencing technology to enable instructors from around the world to teach students at a school for the hearing disabled in India. The program’s success was a highlight of the keynote address at Microsoft’s Lync 2014 Conference in Las Vegas.
“Integreon is honored to once again be recognised by the IAOP in their Global Outsourcing 100 list of the world’s best service providers,” said Bob Gogel, CEO of Integreon. “Our experience and our focus on quality and service excellence are what clients appreciate most. My thanks to our many Associates around the world for their hard work, creative thinking and dedication to delighting our clients, which has made Integreon one of the world’s most trusted providers of knowledge and legal services outsourcing.”
By identifying the world’s best outsourcing service providers and advisors, the 2015 Global Outsourcing 100 helps buyers compare and select the most suitable providers for their needs. Firms were evaluated by the IAOP following meticulous scoring by an independent judging panel with extensive experience in selecting outsourcing service providers and advisors.
The panel was organised by the IAOP and led by IAOP Chairman Michael F. Corbett, who noted, “Being named to the Global Outsourcing 100 list is no easy task. The IAOP is pleased to recognise Integreon for their excellence and achievement.”
About Integreon
Integreon is a trusted, global provider of award-winning legal, document, business and research support solutions to leading law firms, corporate legal departments, financial institutions and professional services firms. Around the globe, Integreon’s 2,200 Associates support more than 250 clients in areas such as discovery, legal process outsourcing (LPO), market and competitive intelligence, operating model transformation and back office redesign. Integreon also excels in business support services such as IT, document processing, finance and human resources. With our unrivaled outsourcing experience and industry-leading onshore and offshore capabilities, clients increasingly rely on Integreon to provide value-added solutions and meet their needs in a demanding business environment. Integreon has won more than 40 industry awards over the past five years and supports its global client base from 12 delivery centres across the US, UK, India, China, the Philippines and South Africa.
For more information about Integreon’s extensive range of services, please visit www.Integreon.com and follow Integreon on social media at LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Weibo.
For additional information, please contact:
John Vignolo
Burson-Marsteller
212-614-4785
About IAOP
IAOP is the go-to association leading the way to improve outsourcing outcomes by bringing together customers, providers and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional development, recognition, certification and excellence. With over 120,000 members and affiliates worldwide, IAOP is not only on top of the latest trends but in front of them. Through its expansive global chapter network, premier training and certification programs, knowledge centre, member community and more, IAOP helps members learn, grow and succeed. For more information and how you can become involved, visit www.IAOP.org.
The media contact for IAOP is:
Kate Tulloch-Hammond
Media & Communications Manager, IAOP
+1.845.452.0600, ext. 122
Ahead of spectrum auction, telecom sector gets no relief
Every year the Government gets about 40,000 crore from telecom operators but when it comes to the Union Budget this is one sector which has always been disappointed. This year too there was nothing for telecom companies even as they gear up for the spectrum auction to start on March 4.
“While a few proposals in the Union Budget may help growth of telecom and broadband, overall, the industry’s concerns and submissions have been left unanswered. With the Government’s thrust on the Digital India initiative, a more supportive budget was expected for the telecom sector,” said Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI.
COAI, the Association representing seven of the largest mobile service operators and the majority of telecom equipment manufacturers, as well as other communication services and product companies in India, said that the silver lining in the budgetary proposal for the sector was the linking Jan Dhan programme, Aadhaar and Mobile telephony.
“This is a positive step as it recognises and encourages the role of mobile telephony towards facilitating financial inclusion and will enable well targeted cashless transfers. This will help in the uptake of mobile payment services,” Mathews pointed out.
Pan-India Mobile Number Portability from May 3, Trai amends regulation
NEW DELHI: Mobile phone users from May 3 will be able to retain their numbers when they relocate to any part of the country, even if they change operators, after the telecom regulator on Wednesday issued an order for full mobile number portability (MNP).
In a statement, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that it has “issued sixth amendment to the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulation, 2009, which will facilitate full Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in the country, with effect from May 3, 2015.”
Bharti Airtel: higher profitability despite Africa flop
Bharti Airtel Ltd’s December quarter numbers reflect the growing traction in the mobile data segment. The company reported a better-than-expected 10% growth in consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) from a year ago. That was despite continued disappointment in its African operations. The voice segment in its mainstay India wireless business also didn’t rebound as much as analysts had expected.
In India, Bharti Airtel’s voice volumes grew 1% sequentially which appears disappointing since September is seasonally a weak quarter. Rival Idea Cellular Ltd had reported a 5.1% sequential growth. However, unlike Idea, Bharti Airtel held on to average price realizations which remained flat compared with the September quarter. India wireless revenues were up 4% sequentially and Ebitda in this segment grew 6%. This growth was on expected lines after a 1% fall in revenues and 2% fall in Ebitda in the September quarter.
Wireless segment numbers were also helped by a boost from data services which is growing more important against a backdrop of increasing smartphone usage. Data volumes rose 14% from a quarter ago. Usage per customer grew 10% sequentially and realizations by 3%. Data services contributed to 16.2% of total wireless revenues, compared with 14.5% last quarter and 10.6% a year ago. On a sequential basis margins rose by 60 basis points. A basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point.
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GSMA Launches Consumer Protection Campaigns with Governments and Operators in Costa Rica and El Salvador
The GSMA today announced that it has launched a series of initiatives designed to protect mobile users in Costa Rica and El Salvador, working in collaboration with national governments and mobile operators in each country. The GSMA is expanding the reach and scope of its “We Care” campaign in Latin America, with the goal of providing users with safer, more secure and convenient mobile experiences through programmes focusing on handset theft, child protection and disaster response. The GSMA “We Care” campaign, which was officially launched today in Costa Rica and on 28th October in El Salvador, builds on initiatives currently being implemented by operators and governments in Brazil and Nicaragua.
The GSMA today announced that it has launched a series of initiatives designed to protect mobile users in Costa Rica and El Salvador, working in collaboration with national governments and mobile operators in each country.
“Throughout Latin America, mobile provides citizens access to a wide range of communications, information and entertainment services, enhancing their everyday lives and offering new economic opportunities,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA. “We are very pleased to be working with leading mobile operators and authorities in Costa Rica and El Salvador to extend the reach of our ‘We Care’ initiatives, to ensure that every customer can enjoy mobile’s transformational benefits in a protected and trusted environment.”
Launching “We Care” in El Salvador
In El Salvador, the GSMA is working with operators Claro, Digicel, Telefónica and Tigo, as well as national authorities, including the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior and Territorial Development and the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence, in a multi-faceted customer protection initiative that focuses on three key areas: handset theft, child protection and disaster response.
In the area of handset theft, operators will expand their participation in the GSMA IMEI Database, which allows them to report stolen or lost devices and block them from operating on their own network, as well as those of participating operators globally. This service also allows organisations including device recyclers, retailers, dealers and others to determine if a specific device may be lost or stolen by using the GSMA Device Check tool. In child protection, the operators will promote the programme, “Alerta Angel Desaparecido,” an initiative from the Attorney General’s Office to find missing children, through SMS campaigns, social networks, events and branding on their websites. To address disaster preparedness, the operators have committed to implement mechanisms outlined in the GSMA Disaster Response “Guidelines for Establishing Effective Collaboration between Mobile Network Operators and Government Agencies.”
“Claro El Salvador is committed to working with the local government to implement initiatives that will help promote child and youth protection programmes, such as ‘Angel Desaparecido’ which has been implemented by the Attorney General’s Office. We are also supporting additional ‘We Care’ initiatives, such as contributing with a disaster notification system as part of the disaster response programmes of local government agencies and participating in the GSMA Device Check programme to eradicate the illegal activation and dealings of stolen handsets in El Salvador,” stated Eric Behner, CEO at Claro El Salvador.
Focus on Child Protection in Costa Rica
Costa Rica operators Claro, ICE and Telefónica are working with the National Board for Children (Patronato Nacional de la Infancia or PANI) to promote the 1147 child helpline run by the PANI. Operators will offer free calls to the helpline and will build awareness of the initaitive through SMS, social networks events and promotion on their websites. In the future, the operators will undertake “We Care” programmes in the areas of handset theft, eWaste and human rights.
“For Telefónica, it is important to support social issues such as the helpline initiative driven by PANI, which gives voice to Costa Rican children and youths. We believe in promoting the development of the societies in which we operate, and we work to ensure access to information through our services, protecting young people and children. The GSMA ‘We Care’ initiative represents an opportunity to integrate the efforts already performed with the other operators in the country, helping to maximise the benefits to society,” said Jorge Abadia, Country Director, Telefónica Costa Rica.
“We are pleased to see the further expansion of the ‘We Care’ campaign in Latin America, building on the excellent work already underway in Brazil and Nicaragua,” said Nenita La Rose, Executive Director of Child Helpline International (CHI), a global network of 191 organisations aiming to promote and protect the rights of children and teenagers in 145 countries. “We welcome this initiative developed by GSMA Latin America and we look forward to working even more closely with operators in Costa Rica to not only build awareness, but promote the use of the 1147 child helpline run by PANI. This is an important opportunity for us to help ensure the safety of children and young people in Costa Rica.”
Idea Cellular announces un-audited results for the First Quarter (Q1) ended June 30, 2014
Idea, the fastest growing large Indian Mobile operator, starts the new financial year with highest ever incremental revenue growth of Rs. 5,157 million in a quarter, helping the company reach 30% EBITDA margin. Continuing its upward trajectory, the company achieved 7.3% sequential quarterly revenue growth, on the back of 6.5% growth in Q4FY14. This quarter Idea delivered balanced growth with sequential quarterly voice minutes expansion by 5.2% and ‘Average Realisation per Minute’ (ARPM) improvement of 3.3%.
During the quarter, the company carried 165.2 billion minutes on its network, registering 12.2% YoY growth and 32.5 billion Megabytes of Mobile Data on its 2G+3G platform, YoY growth of 136%, reaffirming strong consumer demand for brand Idea.
The higher voice rate realization and jump in Data contribution to 11.5% of service revenue helped improve ‘Average Realisation per Minute’ (ARPM) by 1.5 paisa from 43.6p in Q4FY14 to 45.1p in Q1FY15. The Value Added Services (VAS) contribution has improved sharply to 17.8% of overall service revenue.
The standalone EBITDA at Rs. 22,664 million grew faster by 14% on QoQ basis due to multiple drivers including scale benefit, better cost management and robust voice & data growth. The EBITDA margin has improved sequentially by 1.8% to 30%. Including Indus dividend receipt of Rs. 3,623 million, the company has delivered highest ever standalone ‘Profit After Tax’ (PAT) of Rs. 10,117 million, nearly double the previous quarter.
Brand Idea continued its subscriber growth momentum with 3.2 million net new customer additions, now servicing 139 million quality base as ‘Average Revenue Per User’ (ARPU) improved to Rs. 181 (Rs. 173 in Q4FY14) and MoU/Subscriber increased to 401 minute (397 minute in Q4FY14). The company continued its journey of strengthening its competitive market standing with VLR subscriber market share climbing to 17.7% (May 2014) and Revenue Market Share (RMS) @16.6% in Q4FY14, an increase of 0.9% compared to Q4FY13.
This quarter, Idea reversed the falling ‘Average Realisation per MB’ (ARMB) data rate trend by improvement of 1 paisa to 26.3p (vs 25.3p in Q4FY14). The explosive mobile data volume growth and ARMB improvement has helped company deliver 23.6% Mobile data revenue growth. The net Mobile data consumer base has risen in the quarter by 2.6 million to 27.9 million. The blended Data ARPU (2G+3G) also improved to Rs. 108 and Usage per Data subscriber is at 409 MB, among the highest in industry. Further, the company launched its 3G services in Punjab service area from May 29, 2014 extending Idea own ‘High Speed 3G Broadband’ Services presence to 11 service areas covering 72% of its subscriber base.
In June 2014, company successfully completed its ‘Qualified Institutions Placement’ (QIP) and allotted 223.9 million fresh equity shares at an issue price of Rs. 134 per Equity Share (including a premium of Rs. 124 per Equity Share), aggregating to Rs. 30,000 million. Both Foreign and Indian large institutional investors evinced strong interest for Idea’s fresh capital. With additional equity infusion and strong Cash Profit of Rs. 20,230 million in the quarter, Idea has reduced its Net Debt by Rs. 52,087 million to Rs. 139,769 million. The Net Debt to Annualised EBITDA ratio now stands at 1.54, providing the company sufficient headroom to participate in the forthcoming spectrum auction.
For Q1FY15, on consolidated basis including Indus 16% contribution, Idea revenue grew by 15.6% against same quarter year ago and EBITDA rose by 20.9%, driving the EBITDA margin to 33.2%. The consolidated PAT at Rs. 7,282 million has grown sharply by 57.4% from Rs. 4,627 million in Q1FY14.
The strong consumer demand & brand affinity, expanding network footprint & spectrum portfolio and steady Cash flows from operations reaffirms Idea ability to deliver consistent, competitive, responsible and profitable growth. The company is well geared to meet all volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous developments and remain on course of its mission to improve its market standing both in Mobile voice and data business.
Department of Telecom reiterates no wrong-doing from Reliance Jio
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has gone on record to categorically state that there was absolutely no wrong-doing on anyone’s part in granting licenses to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL). The government agency that forms a critical part of the Telecom Ministry has further gone on to state that there was no wrongdoing in allowing Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm to convert its internet service provider (ISP) permit into a unified licence (UL) or in the auction of the broadband wireless spectrum in 2010, as alleged in a draft report of the national auditor.
CAG’s Allegations:
The Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) has claimed in a new report that the Department of Telecom (DoT) ignored signs that pointed to evidence of rigging the 2010 auctions in which a company called Infotel Broadband Services Pvt. Ltd (IBSPL) – won pan-India broadband spectrum by paying 5,000 times its net worth of Rupees 2.5 crore.
The CAG highlighted that IBSPL, which submitted an earnest money deposit of Rs 252.50 crore and won a slot of 20 MHz of pan-India BWA spectrum, had through the “covert and overt assistance of third party/private bank” bid for Rupees 12,847.77 crore and then sold the company to a Reliance Industries unit on the day of completion of the auction.
It accused IBSPL and RIL, the parent of Jio, of collusion, and asked for a through probe into the whole matter, cancellation of the broadband spectrum allotted post the 2010 auctions and “exemplary punishment” on the colluding firms.
Reliance’s Response:
Reliance Jio’s parent company Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) completely rejected the CAG’s allegations. “We outrightly reject any suggestion whereby spectrum was acquired in any manner other than through a transparent bidding process duly supervised by Government of India and our company being in compliance of every single stipulation and rule,” it said. The company also clarified that it was not aware of any such draft report from CAG.
Even IIBSPL’s parent company denied such allegations. MahendraNahata, the head of IIBSPL’s parent company Himachal Futuristic Company Ltd ( HFCL), said that no condition in the auction rules was violated and no confidential information was shared with anybody.According to the draft audit report, the IBSPL promoter-director went on electronic media on June 11, 2010, to say the company had been in talks with RIL during the course of auction process.
4th Annual DatacenterDynamics Converged Mumbai
For the fourth year in a row, DatacenterDynamics brings to you India’s largest knowledge and information exchange platform for data center professionals. In a unique attempt to bring together all key stakeholders under one roof, DCD is bringing over 400 data center leaders from across industries to brainstorm and strategically chart the course for the next level of growth for the data center industry in India.
The daylong event will kick off with an opening session by Stephen Worn, CTO and CEO-North America, DatacenterDynamics, wherein he will discuss the findings of world’s largest data center survey conducted by DCD Intelligence, projecting trends and indicating opportunities for growth in the Indian market. This will be followed by various case studies, best practice sharing and cloud technology sessions at the Converged Conference happening across 2 Halls with their trademark Expo in the 3rd. The 4th Annual Converged will conclude with a Cocktail Reception for the participants and key event partners.
The event will feature certain key industry thought leaders such as Rajesh Aggarwal- Principal Secretary (Information Technology), Government of Maharashtra; AS Rajgopal- Managing Director, NxtGen Datacenter and Cloud Services; Sreejith G- GM Data Center Services, Sify Technologies Limited; Santanu Dutt, Senior Architect and Technology Evangelist, Amazon Web Services (AWS); Varoon Raghavan- AVP, Growth Ventures Group, Tata Communications; Neil Pollock-CEO, Nxtra Data Ltd; Subhash Chandra-Regional Head, Google India; Ashok K Agarwal- Division Head- IT Risk & Assurance, DCB Bank India; Tilak Seth- CEO, Infrastructure and Cities Sector, Siemens; Siegfried Drexler- Enterprise Business Development Manager Infrastructure Data Center Solutions- Asia, Pacific & Japan, Schneider Electric IT Business; Robin Roy-Director – MCIS, Delta Power Solutions; Low Yin Lim- Solution Sales Manager- AP, Panduit; Ashish Dandekar- Council Member, Gerson Lehrman Group, Austin-Texas, USA for Power Markets Advisory Services.
The 4th Annual DCD Converged is taking place on the 22nd May at the Palladium Hotel, Lower Parel and is packed with powerful new content to engage, educate, influence and empower you with the knowledge and insights that you need to take your teams and business to the next level.
Indian Telecom Post 