Posts Tagged ‘study’

Singapore Lags Global Index in Readiness for Digital Transformation

Monday, September 12th, 2022

Dell research suggests that Singapore and the APJ lags the world in its “Breakthrough Benchmark” – a measure of the readiness for digital transformation.

Dell Technologies’ research from over 40 countries details how despite two years of accelerated digital transformation, only 5% of the Singapore workforce has an appetite for digital change.

Dell Technologies’ research from over 40 countries details how despite two years of accelerated digital transformation, only 5% of the Singapore workforce has an appetite for digital change. Click to enlarge.

I was looking through a study report from Dell on digital transformation and couldn’t help but notice that the survey results seem to indicate that Singapore and APJ seems to lag the global index for its “Breakthrough Benchmark”.

The survey of 10,500 respondents from around the world measured participants’ readiness for technological change and placed them in four benchmark groups:

  1. Sprint: Traiblazers ready to chase after innovation and technological change.
  2. Steady: Poised to adopt technological change selected by others.
  3. Slow: More inclined to hold back and observe / deliberate rather than take action.
  4. Still: Take a pessimistic view of innovation based on perceived risk. Tend to anticipate problems and resist proposed technology innovations based on perceived risk.

Respondents in the “Sprint”and “Steady” groups tend to be more confident that they or their organisation will advance in areas of technology adoption, while respondents in the “Slow” and “Still” groups are more likely to see the potential risks involved and retreat.

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Study: 76% of Organisations Suffered Downtime & Data Loss in 2021

Thursday, March 31st, 2022

The losses were due to system crashes, human error and cyberattacks. The Acronis Cyber Protection Week Global Report 2022 highlights growing threats and need for integrated cyber protection solutions.

The annual Cyber Protection Week Global Report 2022 surveyed more than 6,200 IT users and IT managers from small businesses to enterprises across 22 countries.

The annual Cyber Protection Week Global Report 2022 surveyed more than 6,200 IT users and IT managers from small businesses to enterprises across 22 countries.

Acronis has released its annual Cyber Protection Week Global Report 2022 timed to this year’s World Backup Day.

“As the entire world is increasingly at risk from different types of attacks, accelerating to universal all-in-one solutions is the only way to achieve truly complete cyber protection. And that’s precisely the problem Acronis has set out to solve. Attackers don’t discriminate when it comes to means or targets, so strong and reliable security is no longer an option, it’s a necessity,” says Candid Wuest, Acronis V.P. of Cyber Protection Research.

The report exposes some of the most critical shortcomings appearing in cyber protection practices today and examines why they’re appearing, offering guidance on how they can be fixed.

One of the key findings last year was that 80% of organizations ran as many as 10 solutions simultaneously for data protection and cybersecurity — yet more than half of them suffered downtime because of data loss.

So more solutions do not necessarily translate into more protection.

This year, the trend seems to be getting worse.

While 78% of organizations globally run as many as 10 different solutions, 76% of organizations experienced downtime due to data loss — a 25% increase from 2021.

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Study: Singaporeans Lose Sleep Over COVID-19 Pandemic

Thursday, March 18th, 2021

The Philips 2021 global sleep survey finds that Singaporeans now average 6.8 hrs of sleep per night, down from 7 hours in the 2020 survey.

A year since the start of COVID-19, Singaporeans' sleep issues loom large.

A year since the start of COVID-19, Singaporeans’ sleep issues loom large.

The Philips 2021 global sleep survey, in its sixth annual installment, is being released to mark World Sleep Day tomorrow.

The study also found that over half (57%) of Singaporeans’ ability to sleep well has been directly impacted by the pandemic, with more than a third experiencing negative impact on their stress, ability to sleep well, mental/emotional health, sleep and work routines.

With telehealth on the rise, Singaporeans are open to online means to address sleep-related
concerns, yet fear hinders many from getting tested for obstructive sleep apnea.

More details below from the study.

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SexTech: Characteristics of Smart Sex Toys (ESET White Paper)

Monday, March 15th, 2021

Did you know that sex toys could be connected to the Internet, to a smartphone or to another sex toy? Along with the technology that makes sex toys smart, vulnerabilities are introduced that could endanger the user’s data, privacy and even safety!

Architecture of a smart sex toy.

Architecture of a smart sex toy.

With the emergence of the IoT, many manufacturers have entered the sexual pleasure market by integrating the ability to control devices through mobile apps as well as adding web-based interconnectivity.

There are currently numerous different apps available, each of which offers the ability to control a wide range of models.

In terms of their architecture, most of these devices can be controlled via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) from an app installed on a smartphone.

The main advantages of this protocol are that it has very low power requirements, communications are within an acceptable range, there is interoperability among chipset manufacturers, and it all comes in a very compact size.

As a result, a lot of smart devices for the home, health, car, and even sex toy fields, use BLE between the device and the app that controls it.

Like Bluetooth, BLE operates on the 2.4 GHz ISM band.

However, unlike standard Bluetooth, BLE stays in sleep mode all the time, except when a connection is initiated.

Also, the actual connection times themselves are just a few milliseconds, unlike Bluetooth, which takes more than 100 milliseconds.

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SexTech: The Evolution of Sex Toys (ESET White Paper)

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

ESET has published a White Paper on their study on the potential security and safety flaws of connected sex toys. The title of the report is “Sex in the Digital Era – How secure are smart sex toys?” and here is an excerpt on the evolution of sex toys.

“Sex in the Digital Era - How secure are smart sex toys?” is an ESET Research White Paper published by Denise Giusto and Cecilia Pastorino.

“Sex in the Digital Era – How secure are smart sex toys?” is an ESET Research White Paper published by Denise Giusto and Cecilia Pastorino.

As IoT (Internet of Things) devices continue to seep into our homes and offer an increasingly wide range of features, new concerns are beginning to arise about the security of the data processed by these devices.

Though they have been subject to countless security breaches leading to the exposure of people’s login details, financial information, and geographical location, among others, there are few kinds of data with more potential to harm users, if published, than those relating to their sexual behavior.

With new models of smart toys for adults entering the market all the time, we might imagine that progress is being made in strengthening the mechanisms to ensure good practices in the processing of user information.

However, our research shows that we are a long way from being able to live out our sexuality through digital media without exposing ourselves to the risk of cyberattack.

Today, these findings are more relevant than ever, since we are seeing a rapid rise in sex toy sales as a reflection of the current health situation around the world and the social distancing measures related to COVID-19.

Though many experts have devoted time to identifying and reporting security flaws within this industry, with every passing year these devices incorporate an ever wider range of features: Group chats, multimedia messages, videoconferencing, synchronisation with lists of songs or audio books, and much more.

Each time their code is re-engineered, some vulnerabilities are corrected, new vulnerabilities may be created, and many more remain unchanged in the updated versions.

Read about the evolution of sex toys below.

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Study: ESET Research into Security of Smart Sex Toys

Saturday, March 13th, 2021

Vulnerabilities in smart sex toys could leave users at risk of data breaches and attacks, both cyber and physical, according to a new white paper from global cybersecurity experts at ESET.

The We-Vibe Jive (left) and Lovense Max (right) analysed in the study.

The We-Vibe Jive (left) and Lovense Max (right) analysed in the study.

The “Sex in the Digital Era – How secure are smart sex toys?” report explores the potential security and safety flaws of connected sex toys and includes an in-depth analysis of two popular devices.

Amidst ongoing social restrictions due to the pandemic, sales of sex toys has risen rapidly, and associated cybersecurity concerns mustn’t be overlooked.

As newer, technologically advanced models of sex toys enter the marketplace, incorporating mobile apps, messaging, video chat, and web-based interconnectivity, devices become more appealing and exploitable to cybercriminals.

The consequences of data breaches in this sphere can be particularly disastrous when the information leaked concerns sexual orientation, sexual behaviors, and intimate photos.

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Study: 45% of Singapore SMBs Want to go 100% Laptop Post COVID-19

Friday, March 12th, 2021

In an IDC survey commissioned by ASUS, SMBs are more inclined to equip their employees with laptops rather than desktop computers – compared to prior to COVID-19.

Hmm, still somewhat behind Japan I suppose. I recall, when attending a senior management & leadership course in Japan in the late 90’s, the staff at the college were already equipped 100% with laptops, while fellow-attendees of the year-long course were issued with a personal laptop. It was a cultural mindshift - coming from a work environment at home when it was still 100% desktop.

Hmm, still somewhat behind Japan I suppose. I recall, when attending a senior management & leadership course in Japan in the late 90’s, the staff at the college were already equipped 100% with laptops, while fellow-attendees of the year-long course were issued with a personal laptop. It was a cultural mindshift – coming from a work environment at home when it was still 100% desktop.

Presented during the IDC & ASUS Webcast 2021 Singapore – Digital Transformation for the Next Normal in Asia/Pacific, ASUS revealed that 45% of Singapore SMBs are likely to convert to a 100% laptop setup post COVID-19, underscoring the importance of mobility in a hybrid workplace model.

The finding is among other strategic insights to SMB technology use and how COVID-19 has affected related decisions.

Three suggestions from IDC that Singapore SMBs can implement with regard to technology implementation.

Three suggestions from IDC that Singapore SMBs can implement with regard to technology implementation.

Considering the survey findings, IDC advised that equipping employees with the latest devices that can support both a remote and hybrid work environment will have a significant impact not only on employee productivity and experience, but also will provide a competitive edge to organizations to attract and retain talent.

More details below from the press release.

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Trends: Phishing Against SMBs Increase in Singapore & Region

Wednesday, September 16th, 2020

In the first half of 2020, phishing attempts targeting SMBs in Singapore increased by 61%, mirroring similar increases across South East Asian countries.

Number of phishing attempts against SMBs blocked by Kaspersky Anti-Phishing System, year-on-year.

Number of phishing attempts against SMBs blocked by Kaspersky Anti-Phishing System, year-on-year.

With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating Singapore’s digitalisation efforts, SMBs have become the focal point of discussion for many, as funding worries and the shift to telecommuting have left them in no man’s land.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore continues to retain attraction as the region’s premier business hub, and speaks well of the local businesses’ ability to remain resilient despite headwinds from the global slowdown. However, almost half (41%) of businesses continue to express that the high costs of investment – lack of financing and funding – are major barriers holding them back from digitalisation. The implications of this statistic are significant, as it means cybersecurity may not be a key priority for businesses during this period of cost-cutting,” says Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

While the Government has launched generous initiatives such as the new training and adult education industry digitalisation plan to augment SMBs’ competitiveness, malicious actors continue to find new ways to test businesses’ digital readiness.

According to Kaspersky’s latest statistics, the global cybersecurity company foiled 89,351 phishing attacks against SMBs in H1 2020, compared to 55,653 in the same period last year.

Although Singapore continues to fare better than their SMB counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to witness the lowest volume of phishing attacks in Southeast Asia, the 61% increase suggests that more can be done by Singapore’s SMBs to improve their cybersecurity.

More details below from the presentation and press release.

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From World Backup Day To Acronis World Cyber Protection Week

Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

31 March is the traditional World Backup Day for the industry. In response to the global pandemic and rising cybersecurity concerns, Acronis has expanded it into the World Cyber Protection Week, conducting a cybersecurity awareness survey.

World Cyber Protection Week Survey reveals 42% of organisations suffered data loss resulting in downtime last year.

World Cyber Protection Week Survey reveals 42% of organisations suffered data loss resulting in downtime last year. Image: Acronis.

While nearly 90% are backing up the IT components they’re responsible for protecting, only 41% of the survey respondents back up daily – leaving many businesses with gaps in the valuable data available for recovery.

The figures revealed in Acronis’ 2020 World Cyber Protection Week Survey suggest that traditional strategies and solutions to data protection are no longer able to keep up with the modern IT needs of individuals and organisations.

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Norton Enlists Actor Edmund Chen to Raise Cyber Crime Awareness

Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

2017 Norton Cyber Security Insights Report reveals one in two Singaporeans identified as victims of cyber crime. Edmund shares his personal experience with cyber crime.

“My daughter was cyberbullied by some close friends in secondary school. As a parent, I was saddened and shocked that this had occurred. During that period, my daughter refused to go to school and even became skeptical of relationships,” said actor Edmund Chen.

“My daughter was cyberbullied by some close friends in secondary school. As a parent, I was saddened and shocked that this had occurred. During that period, my daughter refused to go to school and even became skeptical of relationships,” said actor Edmund Chen.

Even though consumers feel confident they are safe online, hackers have proven otherwise, stealing US$172 billion from 978 million consumers in 20 countries in the past year.

This is according to the Norton by Symantec 2017 Norton Cyber Security Insights Report (NCSIR) released today.

“Consumers’ online behavior reveal a dangerous disconnect. Despite a steady stream of cyber crime sprees reported by media, too many people appear to feel invincible and skip taking even basic precautions to protect themselves. This disconnect highlights the need for consumer digital safety and the urgency for consumers to get back to basics when it comes to doing their part to prevent cyber crime,” said Gavin Lowth, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Norton by Symantec.

“Consumers’ online behavior reveal a dangerous disconnect. Despite a steady stream of cyber crime sprees reported by media, too many people appear to feel invincible and skip taking even basic precautions to protect themselves. This disconnect highlights the need for consumer digital safety and the urgency for consumers to get back to basics when it comes to doing their part to prevent cyber crime,” said Gavin Lowth, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Norton by Symantec.

The effects of cyber crime can extend beyond pure monetary impact as actor Edmund Chen can attest.

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