A Review on Illegal Downloader

There is no doubt the UK government are trying their best to eliminate any illegal downloading.

The same goes to our country too... Our local government are putting a lot of effort to prevent illegal downloading from our society.

If you download material illegally from the Internet, be prepared to fork out a minimum fine of RM250,000. This is the warning from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to Malaysians who continue to illegally download songs, videos and the like.

Although this penalty was legislated more than 10 years ago under the Copyright Act 1987, it has yet to be fully enforced. This was because the Government was still focusing on “physical enforcement”, encompassing continuous efforts to weed out pirated DVDs, VCDs and CDs sold on the streets and their operators.

However, our government has begin to turn their priority to illegal downloaders nowadays. Malaysians are urged to be responsible consumers and realise the damage they caused to the various industries that painstakingly produced music, videos and movies only to find their work being used for free.

On the other hand, products will also be reasonably priced so that our Malaysian consumers would not consider cheaper alternatives, such as pirated or illegally downloaded products.

Things to take note to Prevent E-Auction Fraud when a Consumer Participating in an E-Auction

what is e-auctions?

• Electronic auctions (e-auctions), auctions conducted online, have been in existence for several years on local area networks (see Section 12.4) and were started on the Internet in 1995. Host sites on the Internet serve as brokers, offering services that enable sellers to post their goods for sale and allow buyers to bid on those items.
  

Types of e-auction fraud

• Bid shielding (a buyer’s action). The use of phantom bidders to bid at a very high price when an auction begins is called bid shielding. The phantom bidders pull out at the last minute, and the bidder who bids with a very low price wins. The bogus bidders were the shields, protecting the low bid of the bidder in the stack. By bid shielding, a ring of dishonest bidders can target an item and inflate the bid value to scare off other real bidders.

• Shilling (a seller’s action). In shilling, sellers arrange to have fake bids placed on their items (either by associates or by using multiple user IDs) to artificially jack up high bids. If they see a legitimate high bid that doesn’t meet their expectations as the end of an auction draws near, they might pop in to manipulate the price.

• Fake photos and misleading descriptions. In reaching for bidders’ attention,some sellers distort what they can truly sell. Borrowed images, ambiguous descriptions, and falsified facts are some of the tactics that sellers might employ to convey a false impression of the item.

• Selling reproductions (a seller’s action). A seller sells something that the seller claims is original, but it turns out to be a reproduction.
  

• High shipping costs and handling fees (a seller’s action). Some sellers just want to get a little more cash out of bidders. Postage and handling rates vary from seller to seller. Some charge extra to cover “handling” costs and other overhead intangibles, whereas others charge to cover the cost of packaging supplies, even though such supplies are often available for free.
  

• Failure to ship merchandise (a seller’s action). This is the old collect-and run routine. Money was paid out but the merchandise never arrives.
  

• Loss and damage claims (a buyer’s action). Buyers claim they never received an item or received it in damaged condition and then ask for a refund. They might be trying to get a freebie. The seller sometimes cannot prove whether the item ever arrived or whether it was in perfect condition when shipped.

Prevention e-auction fraud

• User identity verification. eBay uses the services of Equifax to verify user identities for a $5 fee. Verified eBay User, a voluntary program, encourages users to supply eBay with information for online verification. By offering their Social Security number, driver’s license number, and date of birth, users can qualify for the highest level of verification on eBay.
  

• Authentication service. Product authentication is a way of determining whether an item is genuine and described appropriately.Authentication is very difficult to perform because it relies on the expertise of the authenticators. Because of their training and experience, experts can (for a fee) often detect counterfeits based on subtle details. However, two expert authenticators may have different opinions about the authenticity of the same item.
  

• Grading services. Grading is a way of determining the physical condition of an item, such as “poor quality” or “mint condition.” The actual grading system depends on the type of item being graded. Different items have different grading systems—for example, trading cards are graded from A1 to F1, whereas coins are graded from poor to perfect uncirculated.
  

• Feedback Forum. The eBay Feedback Forum allows registered buyers and sellers to build up their online trading reputations. It provides users with the ability to comment on their experiences with other individuals.
  

• Insurance policy. eBay offers insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London. Users are covered up to $200, with a $25 deductible. The program is provided at no cost to eBay users.
  

• Escrow services. For items valued at more than $200 or when either a buyer or seller feels the need for additional security, eBay recommends escrow services (for a fee). With an easy-to-access link to a third-party escrow service, both partners in a deal are protected. The buyer mails the payment to the escrow service, which verifies the payment and alerts the seller when everything checks out. At that point, the seller ships the goods to the buyer. After an agreed-upon inspection period, the buyer notifies the service, which then sends a check to the seller. (An example of a provider of online escrow services is tradenable.com.)
  

• Nonpayment punishment. eBay implemented a policy against those who do not honor their winning bids.To help protect sellers, a first-time nonpayment results in a friendly warning.A sterner warning is issued for a second-time offense, a 30-day suspension for a third offense, and indefinite suspension for a fourth offense.
  

• Appraisal services. Appraisers use a variety of methods to appraise items, including expert assessment of authenticity and condition and reviewing what comparable items have sold for in the marketplace in recent months. An appraised value is usually accurate at the time of appraisal but may change over time as an item becomes more or less popular in the marketplace.

• Verification. One way of confirming the identity and evaluating the condition of an item is through verification.With verification, neutral third parties will evaluate and identify an item through a variety of means. For example, some collectors have their item “DNA tagged” for identification purposes. This provides a way of tracking an item if it changes ownership in the future.
  

Mobile Payment Systems in Malaysia: Its Potentials and Consumers' Adoption Strategies

Mobile Money is a PIN-based Mobile Payment Solution designed by Mobile Money International Sdn Bhd to address the limitations and bottlenecks created by cash, cheques and credit cards. It unlocks the power of the mobile phone to make payments, allowing registered users to pay for goods and services at anytime, anywhere using only a mobile phone coupled with a 6-digit security PIN (Personal Identification Number) via SMS (Short Messaging Service). This gives the freedom to shoppers to buy products online and pay the merchant using his/her mobile phone without being physically present at the store.

When it comes to online selling, selecting a payment gateway is one of the major obstacles faced by the merchants in Malaysia. There are too few choices available, worse, none of these limited choices are cost effective.

Mobile Money will encourage more consumers to shop online. This will definitely be a great boon to the e-commerce industry in Malaysia. It will surely encourage more merchants to adopt online selling as an extra sales channel which complement perfectly with their offline sales channel to help them sell more of their goods and services.

Potentials and Customers' adoption strategies

1) Sell to Anyone, Anywhere at Anytime - The merchant can now sell to people across town, across the country and take payment around the clock, which is not possible with current payment systems. Online selling (e-commerce) becomes a practical means for merchants since customers will only need to enter their mobile phone during checkout from merchant e-commerce website.

2) Safe and Secure - With Mobile Money, merchants do not have to be concern of cash /cheque/credit card handling problems or fraud. The Mobile Money Payment System conforms to the stringent requirements set by Bank Negara Malaysia and the participating banks.

3) Multi Methods to Request for Payment - Merchants have multiple mode of operation to request for payments. You can use an IVR, SMS, Mobile Money Website, or even real time Mobile Money Weblink API weblink that can be integrated with your POS (Point of Sales) System or online storefront system.

4) Refund and Reversal Features - Merchants are allowed to do reversal (within same business day) and refund (within 10 days from transaction date).

5) No Minimum Monthly Transaction, No Rental Fee, No Merchant Account Required - Release yourself from the pressure of hitting the minimum monthly transaction amount to waive the rental fee, which typically runs at RM150 or more per month. Furthermore, you don't need to have a merchant account to apply for Mobile Money, your existing bank account will suffice. It will easily save you RM50,000 which you need to deposit in your merchant account with banks.

Since there are more than 16 million mobile phone subscribers in Malaysia, it is inevitable that mobile phone will become a payment tool. Mobile Money enables the mobile phone to function like a credit card and it allows users to pay from wherever they may be.

Corporate Blogging : A New Marketing Communication Tool for Companies

What Is Corporate Blogging?

A corporate blog is type of blog that is published with the support of an organization to reach their goals, such as marketing and selling their products and services.

Business create a blog to strengthen relationships with important target groups and the positioning of the publishing organization as industry experts. This mean that an organization create blogs to show their knowledge about the industry they're in.

In a business perspective, corporate blogs is used as advertising, much like TV ads, print ads, audio ads, and so on.

The advantage of blogs is that posts and comments are easy to reach and follow due to centralized hosting and generally structures conversation threads. All current browsers (including Firefox, Opera,Safari and Internet Explorer 7) support RSS technology, which enables readers to easily read recent posts without actually visiting the blog which is very useful for low-volume blogs.

Benefits of Corporate Blogging

• Build rapport with customers - give customers a channel to interact and get to know about the brand and organization in a format that are familiar and comfortable with.



• Free feedback and suggestions from key constituents - Corporate blogging gives us insights to what people are saying about products, brand, competitors and marketing. These insights come in the forms of comments on blog or commentary and discussions that take place on other blogs.



• Increased website traffic from higher search engine rankings - Search engines favour websites with fresh content and ranks blog higher in search results.



• Position business as a thought leader - demonstrating expertise and experience in industry through commentary, guides and analysis.

Corporate Example

Jonathan's Blog

The blog of Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems. Although John is the CEO of a USD$ 15 billion company, his blogs just like a regular guy.

The Official Google Blog

The Google blog gives you a peek into the internet giant;s products, technology and culture and frequently features managers and enginneers blogging about the projects they work on.

English Cut
Thomas Mahon isn't nearly as big as Sun or Google, but his blog has made him a very successful small business. He tailors Prince Charles' suits!

Blue Flavor Blog
Blue Flavor is another successful small business that effectively employs a thought leadership strategy in their blog.

Seth's Blog
Best-selling author Seth Godin's blog is another example of a blog employing a thought leadership strategy and reinforces Seth's reputation as a writer, speaker and consultant.

Kid Chan Studio Blog
A good example of a corporate blog from Malaysian company.

Exabytes Blog
Another Malaysian blog, the Exabtyes Blog does a good job of humanising a 'virtual' company and notifying readers of special offers.

E-Government in Malaysia: Its Implementation so far and Citizen’s Adoption Strategies

IMPLEMENTATION OF E-GOVERNMENT IN MALAYSIA

The status of e-government implementation in Malaysia is widely discussed as to the potential of e-government implementation towards the public and businesses. As far from the Malaysia is concerned, the implementation of e-government was initiated by the introduction of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996.

The e-government initiative launched the country into the Information Age. It will improve the government operates internally as well as how it delivers services to the people of Malaysia. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility, and quality of interaction with citizens and businesses. Simultaneously, it will improve information flow and processes within the government, improve the speed and quality of the policy development, and improve coordination and enforcement. This would enable the government to be more responsive to the needs of its citizens.

In order to realize the e-government adoption in Malaysia, MAMPU has introduced several documents to streamline the e-government implementation. One of the documents, Blueprint for Implementation contains explanations on concept, vision, objectives and roadmap of e-government implementation.

E-government is one of the seven flagship applications introduced in MSC. Under the e-government flagship, seven main projects were identified to be the core of the e-government application.

1) Generic Office Environment (GOE)
-- The aim of GOE is to introduce a fully integrated, distributed and scalable office environment that leverages use of the multimedia information technology.This will enable efficient communication, allowing collaboration across all workers, and ensuring right information reaching the right people in the timely manner. The GOE projects consists of modules namely Enterprise-wide Information Management System (EIMS), Enterprise-wide Communication Management System, and Enterprise-Wide Collaboration Management System (“Pilot Project”). The EIMS provide a universal interface for the users to mange, find, retrieve and compose the information that they need in their day to day operations. Via the Communication and Collaboration Management Systems, users can communicate and collaborate in a group to perform work function. All three modules work together in an integrated fashion to provide the technical transparency for the users.

2) Electronic Procurement (eP)
-- The aim is to re-engineer, automate, and transform current procurement system. The project would cover central contract, tender, and direct purchase. Besides that, the use of eP will increase transparency, save time and money while encourage suppliers to go electronic and join the K- Economy.

3) Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)
-- The introduction of HRMIS as an e-government project will provide single interface for government employees to perform human resource functions effectively and efficiency. Furthermore, it will help to standardize all human resource processes for federal, state, statutory body, and local authority services. The objective of HRMIS is not just for record keeping but also provide transactional functions such as leave application, loan processing, competency management, recruitment, and selection of employee.

4) Project Monitoring System (PMS)
-- This projects will create a mechanism to monitor project implementation throughout various government agencies and statutory bodies. PMS also provide a platform to exchange ideas and to demonstrate best practices in information management and communication services. The PMS is designed to provide a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of government projrct ("Pilot Projects", n.d.). The service also provides a platform for exchanging ideas and demonstrating best practices models in information management and communication services.

5) Electronic Services Delivery (eServices)
-- This project is a pilot project that allows citizens of Malaysia to engage in transaction with government and utilities payment such as telephone and electricity bill, police summons, Road and Transport Department (RTD) services, etc. The eService is accessed via multi channel service delivery such as the Internet and kiosk machines.

6) Electronic Labor Exchange (ELX)
-- This project is to improve the mobilization of human resources and optimize work force utilization through systematic matching of job seekers to job vacancies. As such, this would enable the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) to be one- stop centre for labour market information that will be accessible to the public.

7) E- Syariah
-- This project is to improve the quality of service in Syariah courts. This will eventually enhance the Islamic Affairs Department’s effectiveness through better monitoring and co-ordination of its agencies and improving the management of its 102 Syariah courts. The E- Syariah application consists of Syariah Court Case Management System , Office Automatic System, E- Syariah Portal, Syarie Lawyers Registration System and Library Management System.

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CITIZEN'S ADOPTION OF E-GOVERNMENT

Citizens expect and demand governmental services with a high degree of quality, quantity, and availability in a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, and year-round fashion. Success in delivering electronic services depends upon the capability and self-confidence of citizens in performing e-transactions, as well as their trust and confidence in the protection of their personal data within an open and accountable government.

Influence citizens’ adoption of e-Services is very important, because the success and acceptance of e-Government initiatives are dependent on citizens’ willingness to adopt and utilize these services.

Perceived ease of use, compatibility, and trustworthiness are significant predictors of citizens’ intention to use e-Services and that perceived reactive advantage, perceived image, perceived compatibility, perceived usefulness, and relative advantage are significant elements of e-Government adoption.

Most users used E-Government websites in their workplace and the most frequently used topic was taxation.Information quality and system quality are significant factors that influence the adoption of E-Government websites. Accuracy, relevancy, and completeness were more significant than timeliness and precision. Efficiency was the most significant factor.

Electronic currency

what is bitpass???

bitPass is a micro payment service that facilitates online content access transactions by integrating the processes involved in buying and selling content, and making it practical to charge very small amounts of money.

In the BitPass system, transaction fees are paid by the content provider. For payments under $5., the charge is 15% of the cost. Micro payments are by definition very small sums, so the fee is usually just a few cents. For the content buyer, the BitPass system works similarly to a pre-paid telephone card: you sign up for the service and put money into your account using a credit card or pay pal , which gives you credit towards the purchase of content. When the user agrees to pay the cost of access, their account is charged automatically rather than through a link to an external Web site for payment.

Although the micro payment concept has been proposed for several years, it's been a hard sell. After all, most online content has always been free, and people are naturally opposed to paying for anything they might reasonably expect to get for nothing. However, at least part of the reason that content has been free is likely that no one's found a viable way to get people to pay for it to this point.

Misunderstanding electronic payments

Swinging Wide

BitPass will fail, as FirstVirtual, Cybercoin, Millicent, Digicash, Internet Dollar, Pay2See, and many others have in the decade since Digital silk road, the paper that helped launch interest in micro payments. These systems didn't fail because of poor implementation; they failed because the trend towards freely offered content is an epochal change, to which micro payments are a pointless response.

BitPass' predecessors failed for a variety of reasons and of course "poor implementation" was among them. Efforts like the ones Shirky mentions were plagued with problems: Elaborate and intrusive sign-up forms, flaky business models, mandatory plug-ins, blood-sucking hook-ups to bank accounts, vendor start-up fees, greedy profit splits, etc. Some even claimed to offer "micro payments" while refusing to support transactions below 99¢.

bitpass died???

Bitpass, the Menlo Park start-up that gave people a way to make micro payments online, has died.

Bitpass sent out an email this afternoon to users saying it was closing Jan 26 2007. Online payments have become more competitive over recent months, since Google joined the fray with Google Checkout, and began offering its service for free.

Perhaps Google’s homepage promotion of Checkout was the last straw — making Bitpass the latest Google road-kill. Just three months ago, Bitpass’ chief executive said he was hoping to ally with google, to have Bitpass’ micro payment feature integrated into Google Checkout.

Bitpass was already showing odd signs two years ago, when the CEO disappeared and nobody ever responded to our request for information about what happened. And numerous other micropayments companies struggle or went belly up, including First Virtual, Cybercoin, Millicent, Digicash and Internet Dollar and Peppercoin is still standing.

See our recent coverage of BitPass here . BitPass has taken two rounds of funding, the latest in the fall of 2004, when it raised $11.75 million from Worldview Technology Partners, Steamboat Ventures (the venture capital arm of the Walt Disney Co.), RRE Ventures and others. Prior to that, it had raised $1.5 million from Garage Technology Ventures, Cardinal Venture Capital, Amicus Capital and Constantine Partners.

Credit Card debts: Causes and Prevention

Credit card debt is a major social problem, leading many individual into bankruptcy. To eliminate credit card debt from your own life, it is best to recognize this problem as both a social and individual problem.









Causes of Credit Card debts:


1)Credit card interest rates are high, therefore the profits can be high. Banks and other credit card issuers are after their slice of that big money. If you really think that 'they are after your money', it would be better for you to resist.

2)It is very easy to get credit cards, multiple credit cards in fact. Issuers of credit cards make it easy for you, if you have had no debt problems in the past. If they seem to take it lightly, it is understandable that their customers do too. But remember, they take the risk factors into account when setting interest rates.

3)Friends, neighbours and work colleagues will probably all have multiple credit cards, talking about them and flashing them around from time to time. That could influence the attitute of a person towards it.

4)A monthly spending plan is always essential. Without money management, you will have no idea where your money is going. People may spend hundreds of dollars unnecessarily each month and end up having to charge purchases on which they should have spent that money.

5)Many people don't understand how money works and grows, how to save and invest for a rainy day, or even why they should balance their checkbook. Financial mistakes are increasingly expensive and complicated to resolve. People should be responsible towords their money and lifestyle.











Preventions of Credit Card debts:


1)Create a budget and stick to it. A clear budget that includes all of your monthly bills, food, entertainment and miscellaneous items will prevent you from spending thoughtlessly and buying on impulse.

2)Maintain clear financial records and a regular payment schedule. Disorganization can cause you to overlook bills and overestimate how much you have to spend. Dedicate a specific time every month (just after payday is best) when you can sit down with your finances, pay your bills and determine how much you have to spend for the month ahead.

3)Only use credit when you can pay it off within a few months. Using credit cards with no plan to pay the debt is reckless, irresponsible and can get you into big trouble. The longer it takes you to pay off the debt, the more interest that debt will incur--and the more you'll end up paying.

4)Shred or tear up credit card applications that come to you in the mail. Just because you get the application doesn't mean you need or want the card. Destroying the application will prevent you from using it and protect you from potential identity thieves.

5)Maintain insurance coverage. Health and home insurance are absolute musts in order to avoid bankruptcy. Unexpected medical bills, flood damage and fire damage can lead to ruin if you aren't properly covered.

Credit Card Debts: Causes and Prevention

Credit Card Debts

Credit card is defined as any card that may be used repeatedly to purchase product and services on credit which issued by banks and financial institutions. Credit cards provide us with the added security and ease when shopping and traveling but we tend to misuse them and may lead to credit card debt. When properly used, is an extremely convenient tool.

Credit card debts result from when a client of a credit card company purchased an item or services through the card they use. Debts accumulate increase with interest and penalties for late payment had made the total amount due become larger.

Credit card debt is said to be increasing in the industries areas. Sometime the late fees,over limit fees, high annual percentage rates, and universal default overcome customer who frequently do not pay off their debts, and the customer declares bankruptcy.

Causes of Credit Debts

1.Poor Credit Management
The money spent over the income earn on each month will create the debts. Prices of goods and services going up and not the income, more and more Malaysians are forced to spend beyond their earnings. Thus, they will use credit card to purchase goods and services and unable to pay back the expenses.Clearly knowing the expenses spending at which places is very important.

2.Lack of Concern
The real culprit behind the scenario is the desire to spend money. Lack of concern that their unable to meet the credit card payment obligation. They are lack of concern about payment obligation when they are using the credit card. Using credit card is that you will never feel like you are spending the real money, so self discipline is very important to avoid the debts incurred.

3.Partly Repaying the Credit Card Debts
Many credit card users only pay the interest and the minimum amount of principal when the debt is due, thus never fully repaying the entire sum. Debt accumulates and increases via interest and a penalty when the consumer does not make the payment.

4.Gambling
Many credit card users have the habit in gambling. When they loss the money, they never stop gambling but is continues doing it, then they will use the most easy way to get the money to let them continue to gamble, so credit card is their first choice to think about it.

5. No Saving
When the peoples are no saving, they can also be sucked into credit card debt by unemployment or emergency happened. So saving is very important to avoid this happening.




Prevention of Credit

1.Budget
Create a budget and stick to it. A clear budget that includes all of your monthly bills, food, entertainment and miscellaneous items will prevent you from spending thoughtlessly and buying on impulse.

2.Saving
Save for a rainy day. Direct a portion of your paycheck directly into your savings account so you never even see that money. Aim to save enough money to be able to pay your bills for 6 months in case you lose your job or have an accident.

3.Self discipline
Self control to overspending is the best way to avoid the credit card debts. Avoid using the credit card in always especially in shopping, because using credit card is that you will never feel like you are spending the real money.

4.Clear Financial Records and Regular Payment Schedule
Disorganization can cause you to overlook bills and overestimate how much you have to spend. Dedicate a specific time every month (just after payday is best) when you can sit down with your finances, pay your bills and determine how much you have to spend for the month ahead. So maintain clear financial records and a regular payment schedule is very important.

5. Shred or Tear Up Credit Card Applications
Shred or tear up credit card applications that come to you in the mail. Just because you get the application doesn't mean you need or want the card. Destroying the application will prevent you from using it and protect you from potential identity thieves.

The Aplication of Prepaid Cash Card for Consumers

What Is Prepaid Cash Card?

Prepaid cash cards is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. Its functionality is more similar to writing a cheque as the funds are withdrawn directly from either the bank account, or from the remaining balance on the card.

Prepaid cash card like a portable access point to your checking account. Automated teller machines are everywhere now, and you can use prepaid cash cards at automated teller machines to withdrawal fund from your checking account in cash, deposit funds into your checking account, and you don't need to have a personal computer handy to check your balance.

If you tend to overspend or wold like to control your spending then prepaid cash cards could be a good card for you.

Consumer Benefits

• This payment option quickly and securely moves "Checking Account Like" funds without the hassles or risks involved with paper checks.
• Prepaid cash card act virtually the same as cash.
• Consumers who make prepaid cash card purchases are free of interest charges associated with credit cards.
• Consumers can conveniently and inexpensively transfer funds to friends and relatives anywhere. For example, you can buy two cards, and then send one to your mother in a different country. Every time you want t send her money, you can do card-to-card transfer or load up her card.
• Un-banked consumers can pay bills and purchases products and services on-line or through phone calls using the card.

Example of Prepaid Cash Card

Touch 'n Go

Touch n' go card is an electronic purse that can be used at all highways in Malaysia, major public transports in Klang Valley, selected parking sites and theme park.

Touch 'n go uses contactless smartcard technology. The card look like a credit card. User can continue using the card as long as it is pre-loaded with electronic cash. User can reload the card at toll plazas, train stations, Automates Teller Machines, Cash Deposit Machines, Petrol koisks and at ranging from RM 20 to RM 500.

Touch 'n go enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, it is also very convenient because user no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.


Nowadays, you can use Touch 'n Go to purchases fast foods from 21 outlets in the Klang Valley. The outlets are from A&W, Burger King, Dunkin' Donut, &-Eleven, Carrefour hypermarkers, Caltex conveniences stores and Cineleisure.

Maybank Visa Debit Card

Maybank, in partnership with Visa International today launched the Maybankard Visa Debit Card, Maybank's first dual purpose Bankcard which offer domestic and international access to the cardholder's bank account.

Maybank Visa Debit card is a fast and easy way to pay, and it eliminates the need to carry cheques and reduces the risk of carrying cash. You can also pay bills, transfer money or make purchases wherever VISA is accepted.

You can set your own purchase limit up to the Bank Purchases Limit which currently stand at RM 5000. Maybankard Visa Debit allow you to keep track of your expenses with online statement where you will see information such as merchant location, transaction amount and date.

You also can earn TraetsPoint whenever you pay with your Maybankard Visa Debit. Redeem an array of exciting gifts or shopping,dinning or petrol vouchers with your accumulated TreatsPoints.

No more annual fees, monthly interest rates or late charges to worry about with the Maybankard Visa Debit.

A Review on Internet Security: Impact to Fight Cyber Terrorism

First of all, what is cyber terrorism?

It is basically define as the use of information technology by terrorist groups and individuals to execute attacks against networks, computer systems and telecommunications infrastructures. Some example would be such as hacking into others computer systems, introducing viruses to vulnerable networks, web site defacing, denial-of-service attacks, or terroristic threats made via electronic communication.

Here are some of the cyber terrorism events which has happened previously...

1. In May 2007, Estonia was subjected to a mass cyber-attack in the wake of the removal of a Russian World War II war memorial from downtown Talinn. The attack was a distributed denial of service attack in which selected sites were bombarded with traffic in order to force them offline; nearly all Estonian government ministry networks as well as two major Estonian bank networks were knocked offline. Despite speculation that the attack had been coordinated by the Russian government, Estonia's defense minister admitted he had no evidence linking cyber attacks to Russian authorities.



2. In October 2007, the website of Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko was attacked by hackers. A radical Russian nationalist youth group, the Eurasian Youth Movement, claimed responsibility.



3. In 1999 hackers attacked NATO computers. The computers flooded them with email and hit them with a denial of service (DoS). The hackers were protesting against the NATO bombings in Kosovo. Businesses, public organizations and academic institutions were bombarded with highly politicized emails containing viruses from other European countries. No physical harm or injury had been inflicted.

The Effect of Cyber-terrorism...

Cyberterrorism can have a serious large-scale influence on significant numbers of people. It can weaken countries' economy greatly, thereby stripping it of its resources and making it more vulnerable to military attack.

Cyberterror can also affect internet-based businesses. Like brick and mortar retailers and service providers, most websites that produce income (whether by advertising, monetary exchange for goods or paid services) could stand to lose money in the event of downtime created by cyber criminals.

As internet-businesses have increasing economic importance to countries, what is normally cybercrime becomes more political and therefore "terror" related.

Steps to be taken to prevent Cyber-terrorism...

1. All accounts should have passwords and the passwords should be unusual, difficult to guess.


2. Change the network configuration when defects become know.


3. Check with venders for upgrades and patches.


4. Audit systems and check logs to help in detecting and tracing an intruder.


5. If you are ever unsure about the safety of a site, or receive suspicious email from an unkown address, don't access it. It could be trouble.

Threat of Online Security: How Safe is Our Data?

Threat of Online Security

Every unprotected computer is susceptible to have a high level of computer online security risk. The computer online security are virus, worm, and/or Trojan horse.

1) Virus
--A computer virus is a potentially damaging computer program that affects, or infects, a
computer negatively by altering the way the computer works without the user's knowledge or
permission. Once the virus infects the computer, it can spread throughout and may damage
files and system software, including the operating system.

2) Worm
--A worm is a program that copies itself repeatedly, for example in the memory or on a
network, using up resources and possibly shutting down the computer or network.

3) Trojan horse
--A Trojan horse (named after the Greek myth) is a program that hides within or looks like a
legitimate program. A certain condition or action usually triggers the Trojan horse. Unlike a
virus or worm, a Trojan horse does not replicate itself to other computers.





Safeguards against Computer Viruses, Worm and Trojan Horses

Methods that guarantee a computer or network is safe from computer viruses, worm, and Trojan horses simply do not exist. User can take several precautions, however, to protect their home and work computer from these malicious infections.

1) Never start a computer with with removable media in the drives, unless the media in uninfected.

2) Never open an e-mail attachment unless you are expecting it and it is from a trusted source. Turn off
message preview.

3) Set the macro security in programs so you can enable or disable macros. Enable macros only if the
document is from trusted source and you are expecting it.

4) Install an antivirus program on all of your computers. Obtain updates to the virus signature files on a
regular basis.

5) Check all downloaded programs for viruses, worms, or Trojan horses. These malicious- logic programs
often are placed in seemingly innocent programs, so they will affect a large number of users.

6) If the antivirus program flags an e-mail attachment as infected, deleted the attachment immediately.

7) Before using any removable media, use the antivirus scan program to check the media for infection.
incorporate this procedure even for shrink- wrapped software from major developers. Some commercial
software has been infected and distributed to unsuspecting users this way.

8) Install a personal fire program.





Safeguard against Data and Information Theft

Many companies and individuals use a variety of encryption techniques to keep data secure and private.

Encryption
Encryption is a process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access. You treat encrypted data just like any other data. That is, you can store it or send it in an e-mail message. To read the data, the recipient must decrypt, or decipher, it into readable form.

In the encryption process, the unencrypted, readable data is called plaintext. The encrypted (scrambled) data is called ciphertext. To encrypt the data, the originator of the data coverts the plaintext into ciphertext using an encryption key. In its simplest form, an encryption key is programmed formula that the recipient of the data uses to decrypt ciphertext.

When user send an e-mail message over the Internet, they never know might intercept it, who might read it, or to whom it might be forwarded. if a message contain personal or confidential information, users can protect the message by encrypting it or signing it digitally. One of the more popular e-mail encryption programs is called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). PGP is freeware for personal, noncommercial users. Home users can download PGP from web at no cost.

A digital signature is an encrypted code that a person, website, or company attaches to an electronic message to verify the identity of the message sender. The code usually consists of the user's name and a hash of all part of the message. A hash is a mathematical formula that generates a code from the contents of the message. Thus, the hash differs for each message. Receivers of the message and compares it with oner in the digital signature to ensure they match.

Digital signature often are used to ensure that an impostor in not participating in an internet transaction. that is, digital signature help to prevent e-mail forgery. A digital signature also can verify that the content of a message has not change.

How to safeguard our personal and financial data?

Today, people rely on computers to create, store and manage critical information. Thus, it is important that the computers and the data they store are accessible and available when needed. It also is crucial that users take measures to protect their computers and data from loss, damage, and misuse.
For example,

• businesses must ensure that information such as credit records, employee and customer data, and purchase information is secure and confidential.

• home users must ensure that their credit card number is secure when they use it to purchase goods and services from Web-based businesses.

There are some ways and suggestions to safeguard our personal and financial data....

Safeguards on personal data

• Request electronic versions of bills, statements, and checks instead of paper.

• Sign up for direct deposit of payroll to prevent paper checks from ending up in the wrong hands.

• Shred all personal and financial information such as bills, bank statements, ATM receipts, and credit card offers before you discard them.

• Keep your personal documentation (e.g. birth certificate, Social Security card, etc.) and your bank and credit card records in a secure place.

• Limit the personal information that you carry in your wallet or purse.

• Do not give your Social Security number, credit card number, or any bank account details over the phone unless you have initiated the call and know that the business that you are dealing with is reputable.

• Do not disclose bank account numbers, credit card account numbers, and other personal financial data on any Web site or online service location, unless you receive a secured authentication key from your provider.

• Do not allow mail to go uncollected. Retrieve it promptly.

• Memorize your numbers and/or passwords. Do not write your Social Security number or passwords on paper and store them in your wallet or purse.

• Avoid leaving envelopes containing your credit card payments or checks in your home mailbox for postal carrier pickup.

• Prior to discarding a computer, make sure all personal information is deleted from its hard drive.

• Take receipts at ATMs, bank counters, or unattended gasoline pumps with you.

• Use passwords on your credit cards, bank accounts, and phone cards.

• Review your credit reports annually.

• Be aware of your surroundings when entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN) at an ATM.

• Frequently monitor your account activity, such as balances and withdrawals.

Safeguards on personal and financial data

Firewalls

• companies can use firewalls to protect network resources from outsiders and to restrict employees' access to sensitive data such as payroll or personnel records.
• businesses can implement a firewall solution themselves or outsource their needs to a company specializing in providing firewall protection.

Access controls

• many companies use access controls to minimize the chance that a perpetrator intentionally may access or an employee accidentally may access confidential information on a computer.
  

Encryption

• to prevent information theft and to protect information on the internet and networks, companies and individuals use a variety of encryption techniques to keep data secure and private.

Phishing: Examples and its Prevention Methods

What is Phishing?

Phishing is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. PayPal, eBay and online banks are common targets.

Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant massaging, and often directs users to enter details at a website, although phone contact has also been used.

Examples and Prevention Method of Phishing

Phishing emails

Phising emails usually appear to come from a well-know organization and ask for your personal information, such as credit card number, social security number, account number or password. Often times phishing attempts appear to come from sites, services and companies with which you do not even have an account.

How to Prevent?

Important: To be completely safe from phishers, do not click links in emails. If in doubt, close your browser, reopen it, and type the web address for the site you want to visit directly into the Address bar.

1. Unofficial “From” address: Look out for a sender’s e-mail address that is similar to, but not the same as a company’s official email address.
2. Urgent action requires: Be wary of emails containing phrase like “your account will be closed”, “your account has been compromised”, or “urgent action required”. The fraudster is taking advantage of your concern to trick you into providing confidential information
3. Generic greeting: Fraudster may have your email address, but they seldom have your name. Be skeptical of an email sent with a generic greeting suc as “Dear Customer” or “Dear Member”.
4. Links to a fake web site: To trick you into disclosing your user name and password, fraudsters often include a link to a fake website that look like the sign-in page of a legitimate website.
5. Legitimate link mixed with fake links: Fraudsters sometimes include authentic links in their spoof pages in order to make the spoof site appear more realistic. There are some indicators that an email might not be trustworthy.

• Spelling errors, poor grammar, or inferior graphics.
• Request for personal information
• Attachments

Sample bogus e-mail from Citibank:

Example Phishing on eBay:

Phishing Web Site

A phishing web site (spoofed) tries to steal your account password or other confidential information by tricking you into believing you’re on a legitimate web site.

Important: If you’re at all unsure about a web site, do not sign in. The safest thing to do is to close and then reopen your browser, and then type the URL into your browser’s Address bar.

How to Prevent?

1. Incorrect company name: Look out for tricks such as substituting the number “1” for the letter “I” in a web address (for example, www.paypa1.com instend of www.paypaI.com ).

2. http:// at the start of the address on Yahoo! sign-in pages: A legitimate Yahoo! sign-in page address starts with “https://”. Look for the letter “s” following “http”.

3. Missing slash: Make sure a forward slash (“/”) appears after “yahoo.com” in the Address bar.

A slash (“/”) after “yahoo.com” can help identify a Yahoo! site.

For example, "http://www.yahoo.com:login&mode=secure" is a fake web site address.

Both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browsers have free add-ons (or “plug-ins”) that can help you detect phishing sites.

How to Spot Phishing Scams:

1. Never reply to e-mail massages that request your personal information.
2. Don’t click links in suspicious e-mail, do not copy and paste links from messages into your browser.
3. Use strong passwords and change them often.
4. Don’t send personal information in regular e-mail messages.
5. Do business only with companies you know and trust.
6. Make sure the web site uses encryption .
7. Help protect your PC. Use firewall, keep your computer updated, and use antivirus software.
8. Monitor your transactions. Review you order confirmations and credit card and bank statements.
9. Use credit cards for transactions on the internet