Hacking, cyber attacks: Top 10 countries

Hacking, cyber attacks: Top 10 countries

1. United StatesThe United States topped in overall malicious activity measured by Symantec, with 19 percent of the total in 2009. This is a drop from 23 per cent in 2008.

The United States was the country of the most bot-infected computers observed by Symantec in 2009, accounting for 11 per cent of the global total, a slight decrease from 12 percent in 2008.

It also topped as the No.1 country of origin for Web-based attacks in 2009, accounting for 34 per cent of the worldwide total.

Image: US tops in malicious activity.

2. ChinaChina is ranked second in the list in terms of bots and origin of most attacks.

It is ranked sixth in terms of phishing hosts and eighth in terms of spam zombies. China was at the same position last year also.

Image: More attacks from China.

3. BrazilBrazil became more prominent in all of the specific category measurements in 2009 except for spam zombies, where it was already the top-ranked country.

Brazil's significant increases across all categories are related to the growing Internet infrastructure and broadband usage there.

The growing level of malicious code activity affecting Brazil has also resulted in the proposal of a new cybercrime bill in the country. The initiative may also be a result of a number high-profile cyber attacks there in recent years.

One of the attacks resulted in a massive power grid blackout, while another resulted in the exposure of valuable data and a $350,000 ransom request after a government website was compromised. The latter case resulted in over 3,000 employees being unable to access the site for 24 hours.

Image: Emerging economies see rise in cyber attacks.

4. GermanyGermany ranks second in terms of phishing hosts and third in terms of origin of attacks. In terms of spam zombies, it is ranked 7th and is second in hosting phishing.

Image: Germany ranks high in phishing.

5. India

India saw a surge in malicious activity in 2009, moving from 11th for overall malicious activity in 2008 to fifth in this period. In 2009, India also accounted for 15 percent of all malicious activity in the Asia-Pacific/Japan (APJ) region, an increase from 10 per cent in 2008.

For specific categories of measurement in the APJ region, India increased rank in malicious code, spam zombies and phishing hosts from 2008. Its high ranking in spam zombies also contributed to India being the third highest country of spam origin globally.

Malicious activity tends to increase in countries experiencing rapid growth in broadband infrastructure and connectivity, and the level of malicious activity occurring in India has been increasing steadily over several reporting periods as its broadband infrastructure and user base grows.

Image: India sees a rise in malicious activity.

6. United KingdomThe United Kingdom has seen a drop in malicious activity. It is ranked 4th in terms of malicious code, origin of attacks and 7th in phishing hosts.

Image: UK sees a drop in malicious activity

7. RussiaRussia which was at 12th place last year has surged to the 7th position. The country is ranked second in terms of spam zombies, fifth in phishing hosts and tenth in terms of origin of attacks.

Image: Spam zombies rise in Russia.

8. PolandPoland has seen a rise in malicious activity. It ranked at No.8, two places higher than last year. The country is ranked fourth in spam zombies, eighth in phishing hosts and bots.

Image: More spam attacks in Poland.

9. ItalyItaly has seen a drop in malicious activity. It is now at ninth place from seventh position in 2008. The country is ranked ninth for spam zombies, sixth for bots and eighth in terms of origin of attacks.

Image: Italy sees a drop in malicious activity.

10. SpainSpain has also seen a fall in malicious activity. It has fallen to 10th place from sixth last year. It ranks at the 11th position for spam zombies and phishing hosts, seventh for bots and ninth in terms of origin of attacks.

In 2009, 60 percent of identities exposed were compromised by hacking attacks, which are another form of targeted attack. The majority of these were the result of a successful hacking attack on a single credit card payment processor.

Image: Spain is at No.10.

Can Microsoft and Google take on iPhone 5 with their new Launches?

Can Microsoft and Google take on iPhone 5 with their new Launches?

iPhone 5 Release Causing Microsoft and Google Headache

While Apple fans are eagerly waiting for the release of the iPhone 5, Microsoft and Google, two of their biggest rivals, scrambled to release their new Smartphones just one week before the latest Apple Smartphone. Of course we cannot predict whether this strategy will help Apple’s competitors reap rewards or not, for that we have to bide our time till the new iPhone makes its appearance on the market. But there are some Industry analysts who feel that this is real bad timing, releasing any phone anytime near the iPhone’s release, they say, is a tactic doomed to fail. The main reason, according to them is that Nokia and Motorola have lost significant base and their brands have sharply deteriorated.

According to Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, the Lumia 820 and 920 are highly innovative and are a fresh faced alternative to the anonymous monochromatic Smartphones currently available in the market. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was also present at the launch in the Big Apple, specific time frames for the release in different markets, was not announced though.

Motorola from Google released not one, not two, but three new Smartphones: RAZR M, RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD. The RAZR M has a smaller screen, the RAZR HD retains its bulletproof Kevlar rear, is slimmer, and upgradable to Jelly Bean. The MAXX has a 4.7 inch AMOLED HD screen, an 8 MP camera and enhanced battery life at 21 hours of talk time. Both HD and MAXX are powered by 1.5 GHZ dual core Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm. Everyone is pretty familiar with the cool Android features like face and voice locking options for the phone, greater accessibility for the visually impaired, voice recognition and more.

These phones were pretty good buys even in their initial entries, and Motorola seem to have polished them up just a wee bit more. This is also the first time Motorola has rolled out new models since it was bought by Google a year ago. Powered by Android, they will be available on the Verizon Wireless Network.

It is a fact that Windows Phone 8, the platform for the Lumia and the Jelly Bean Android update are highly innovative, in fact they are probably a few steps ahead of Apple in that regard as well.

Here are some of the snazzy new features of Windows Phone 8:

• Camera plug ins that include filters for photo editing, panoramic lens to combine several pictures into one
• NFC capability for cashless transactions
• Micro SD card support for that extra storage capacity
• Maps data and detailed visual navigation
• Higher screen resolution
• Ability to take screen shots
• Auto integration of media files with SkyDrive
• Multitasking: stream music and click a picture simultaneously

But iFans who are absolutely devoted to their iDevices may not be moved even a little by these facts. Most of them are just waiting for the new iPhone so they can have the latest Apple Smartphone, especially with the tech grape vine hinting that Apple has ‘fixed’ most of the troublesome issues that plagued the 4S, like the battery drain and shutter freezing. They are probably not even bothered that other companies are coming with cool new devices.

Apple has been sending teaser emails and texts hinting at the impending launch of the latest iteration of their iconic Smartphone.

As such both Microsoft and Google have their task cut out for them. We are just a week away from the unveiling of the new iPhone 5. I guess we will have our answers pretty soon!

Product Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T430s

Product Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T430s

The Lenovo ThinkPad t430s is the latest and light model of the brand that has been added into its business line of the ThinkPad T series. The major changes of the T430s, which was released June of 2012, compared to its predecessor, are that the T430s came out with the third generation of Intel Ivy Bridge processors. Aside from that, it also has the new island style or new backlit chiclet “Precision” keyboard. There is an updated discreet graphics alternative that is available for the i5 models as well, being the NVIDIA NVS 5200M utilizing Optimus Technology.

Design and Build

Nearly similar to the T420s, the T430s maintains its Spartan and business look that is seen amongst the ThinkPad models. It has dimensions of 13.50” x 9.05” x 0.83” - 1.02” and although it is wide, it feels light and is surprisingly thin. According to the manufacturer Lenovo, its roll cage is made out of magnesium and its lid and chassis are composed of carbon fiber that is reinforced with materials in order to keep the weight in check. The laptop weights around 4 pounds and like most of the ThinkPad models, it has a fit and durable finish.

Features and Ports
There is a slot at the bottom of the unit which will allow connection to a docking station. Its back has a power jack, Ethernet RJ45 jack, MiniDisplayPort with audio, USB3.0, USB 2.0 which is always on a vent and VGA out. The left hand side has a USB3.0, a 3.5mm Combo Jack, Headphone and MIC and a 4 in 1 SD Card Reader. The Right hand side has a WiFi switch, Kensington lock slot and UltraBay. It is possible to swap the DVD drive in the unit’s UltraBay with a caddy for a secondary hard drive or an extra 3-cell battery.

Taking a look at it overall, the ports of the T430s are satisfactory, even though having another USB port or an eSATA port would be a welcome addition. Its Mini DisplayPort is useful as there are a wide variety of adapters available to convert its output to just about any other kind of standard such as DVI, VGA or HDMI.

In similar contrast to the trend in the industry on eliminating access for the parts and reducing the upgradability of units, the ThinkPad series has continued to provide accessibility to the components. These can be accessed by having two Phillips-head screws removed in order to show the dual DIMMs for the RAM, a mini-SATA connector for the mSATA drive or WWAN and the wireless card.

Conclusion
Finally, we can conclude that the ThinkPad t430s is a solid machine for businesses that is capable of taking on some heavy programs, even though its size and weight are low. Its upgradability is a nice addition for tweaking and since many manufacturers today are already reducing the amount of user-replaceable parts in the laptops. Its screen is still its weak spot but is already considered ideal for business use. The laptop is already destined to be further upgraded with an mSATA SSD for its main drive, which will improve the overall performance of the machine.

How to Hide and Create an Invisible File Folder in Windows

How to Hide and Create an Invisible File Folder in Windows

Here are top five easy ways to create and hide file folders in windows operating system. Not everyone uses a computer that they have all to themselves as many people share computers to do work. Therefore it becomes more like a necessity for them to know the steps to create an invisible folder. Everyone has certain documents and files they like to keep hidden and an invisible folder is the key to do it. Creating an invisible folder in windows has a particular procedure and anyone who wishes to create one must follow the steps. An invisible folder is really a helpful way to keep personal documents hidden from the other people using the desktop or a laptop. Now let us move ahead and jot down the entire process of creating an invisible folder in windows step by step.

• The very first step would be to land the cursor on the desktop screen of the computer or a laptop. Then the user will have to create a new folder using the right click of the mouse. The user simply has to right click in an empty space on desktop and then select the new and then folder option from the pop up menu.

• The next step would be to not give a name to the new folder. In order to accomplish that try typing numerals 255 by holding ALT key continuously without fail. Release the ALT key after inserting the numbers.

• After completing the second step the user must place the cursor on new folder and press the right click button. Then he must click on the option ‘properties’.

• The fourth step will be to click on customize option and once that is done select the ‘change icon’ option. Then the user must scroll through the available options displayed before him until he finds an empty space or the one with no photo or logo.

• Double click on that particular place to select it and this will conclude in the user having an invisible folder that has no name or a visible icon. The user can place the invisible folder wherever he wants and he will be the only person who will know of its whereabouts.

The process of creating an invisible folder is indeed a simple one and will definitely show fruitful results if done correctly. The process is almost the same for every version of Windows operating system say Windows XP or Windows Vista or be it Windows 7. The person willing to make an invisible folder need not be proficient at computers. It does not really matter if he only knows a tad about computers as the whole process is simple enough to be done by anyone and everyone. A combination of simple tricks can help you make a folder that only you can view and finally you can keep your personal stuff under covers.