Filipino students win top prizes in Kaspersky Lab’s student conference on cybercrime in Hong Kong

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announced that students from the Philippines bested 12 other finalists from various countries in the recently concluded regional preliminary round of the Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific and Middle East, Africa (MEA) Cup2012, an annual event that brings together students and young professionals from around the world in a collaborative environment to present and discuss issues relating to cybercrime.

 

The research papers presented by team leaders 21-year old Joshua Arvin Lat and 19-year old Ranyel Bryan Maliwanag won the first and second prizes, respectively, at the conference held on March 14 to 16 at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), a leading university in Asia in professional education and research.

 

Both Filipino students are from the University of the Philippines Department of Computer Science (UP-DCS). They said they carried out their researches at the department’s Computer Security Group.

Veniamin Ginodman, Kaspersky Lab head of educational programs management (left) poses with top prize winners Joshua Arvin Lat (center) and team member Rod Xavier Bondoc during the awarding ceremonies in Hong Kong. Not in photo is third team member Kevin Charles Atienza. 

The top research paper written by Lat and his partners Kevin Charles Atienza and Rod Xavier Bondoc entitled “SOUL Sytem: Secure Online USB Login System,” recommended a secure online authentication system involving a two-factor authentication scheme using a password and an ordinary USB flash drive as a security token. The group took home US$1,500 in cash prize for their winning paper. 

Veniamin Ginodman, Kaspersky Lab head of educational programs management (left) with second prize winners Ranyel Bryan Maliwanag and team mates Mariah Strella Indrinal and Marynyriene Silvestre during the awarding ceremonies in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Maliwanag and his team, composed of Mariah Strella Indrinal and Marynyriene Silvestre, created an application that uses voice recognition. Their research entitled, “Vox-Grid: A Mobile Voice Verification System,” which proposed a mobile voice verification system to improve the security of the username-password authentication scheme, won for the group a US$1,000 cash prize.

 

Third place winner was the research paper entitled “Mining Modules’ Dependencies for Malware Detection” by Masoud Narouei from the Shiraz University of Iran which won for him a cash prize of US$750.

 

This is the first time the Philippines joined the annual conference, which has this year’s theme of “IT Security for the Next Generation.”  

 

Their wins in the Asia Pacific and MEA Cup 2012 have earned for Lat and Maliwanag their respective spots to represent the Philippines in the 2012 Kaspersky International Cup of the IT Security Conference for Young Professionals to be held at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands on May 11-13, 2012. Kaspersky Lab is sponsoring the all-expense paid trip of the team leaders to the global round.

 

This time, they will be competing against the winners of the three other regional preliminary rounds held in America, Europe and Russia & Commonwealth of Independent States. Lat and Maliwanag as well as the other participants stand a chance to win the cash prize of 3,500 euros plus the opportunity of an internship at Kaspersky Lab or a visit to a professional Information Security conference together with the company's experts.

 

In the Hong Kong round, the research papers were presented and defended by Lat and Maliwanag to a panel of judges composed of experts from Kaspersky Lab as well as notable academicians and information technology experts from the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong.

 

The undergraduate students from UP competed with tertiary and post-graduate students from the Asia Pacific, Middle East and African regions.

 

Selection was based on scientific and methodological level of work, the social importance of the topic presented, completeness, objectivity with collected information, as well as practical and innovation value in different areas ranging from technical, social, economic to legal topics.

 

“The quality of papers presented was of a very high standard with much thought and creativity having been put into the content,” said Veniamin Ginodman, Head of Educational Programs Management at Kaspersky Lab.

 

“Kaspersky Lab is committed to continue holding this student conference annually as a platform to engage in open discussion and knowledge-sharing to develop shared strategies and solutions to combat the relentless evolution of cyber threats. We hope that with more knowledge-building and sharing activities, the region will have an excellent youth brain trust when it comes to cyber security-related issues. Clearly, there is much potential here that has not been fully tapped yet,” he said.

 

A total of 52 papers were submitted to this year’s conference, five of which were from the Philippines. In Southeast Asia, only Malaysia and the Philippines made it to the Asia Pacific & MEA Cup 2012.

 

“This conference has again brought together the best from the Asia Pacific and MEA region with excellent support from internationally recognized academicians and analysts,” said Harry Cheung, Managing Director for Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific.

 

“The cyber world is youth-driven and the contribution of the young participants in furthering knowledge on cybercrime will significantly add to the body of work now available,” he said.

 

About Kaspersky Lab

 

Kaspersky Lab is the world's largest privately-held Internet Security company, providing comprehensive protection against all forms of IT threats such as viruses, spyware, hackers and spam. The company's products provide in-depth computer defense for more than 300 million systems around the globe, including home and mobile users, small and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. Kaspersky technology is also incorporated inside the products and services of nearly 100 industry-leading IT, networking, communications and applications solution vendors.

For further information about the company, please visit http://www.kaspersky.com.

 

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Media Contacts:

 

Jesmond Chang

Corporate Communications Manager

Kaspersky Lab South East Asia

jesmond.chang@kaspersky.com

 

Jez Campaniel
Accounts Specialist
Phone: +632 490-5477| TeleFax: +632 441-6538 | Mobile: +63 9228827363
Upspring Public Relations
Quezon City, Philippines

Why We Say It - The Filipino Culture

SURELY!

It's More Fun in the Philippines!

The Philippines has gone a long way from just being an archipelago of 7,100 islands. This unique country in South East Asia is more than a tropical haven of seas, sand, and skies. For years, it has become a pulsating paradise of choice among luxury travelers around the world. Based on real experience, they definitely claim that "it's more fun in the Philippines!"

Famous for being called "The Pearl of the Orient", the Philippines can go beyond what is expected of a beach-and-sand paradise. It is a heaven rich in pearly-white sandy shores, azure seas, abundant coral reefs, diverse flora and fauna, majestic mountain elevations, festive culture of both Asian and European mix, and most of all - its warm, and welcoming people.

Because doing things normally is too mainstream.

The energy, the upbeat vibe, the festive chaos, there's no place like Manila!

Makati is the most modern and energetic city in Metro Manila. Everywhere you go, your senses can savour the classy-cosmopolitan attitude of Makati: skyscrapers, high-end shopping, exquisite restaurants.

Yummy... for the eyes.

One step backward, two steps forward. Tagaytay is simply that. This city mounted on higher planes is a haven for quick and stress-relieving escapes from the hurried life.

Palawan is known to be the Philippine's last ecological frontier because of its lush virgin forests and cliffs, crystal-blue seas, and the diversity of endangered species living in its fertile habitat.

Bohol province is a great destination that offers diverse spectacular natural attractions making it suitable for those planning a romantic holiday, relaxing family vacation, friends who are looking for fun and adventure.

Today, more and more travelers are choosing to fly to the Philippines because of the unique experiences this country has to offer. It is expected as well that the business of travel agency in the Philippines will abound as tourism keeps on growing. Because of this, the Philippines' Department of Tourism has cast its safety net in securing everyone who visits the land will hopefully experience safety, comfort, and of course, fun! It has established several tourism centres, policies, travel agent in the Philippines, and labor force to make sure travelers will enjoy their stay here.

If you intend to check out this country on your next holiday, here are some of the best of best top Philippine destinations that you shouldn't miss:

·         Travel Manila

·         Travel Makati

·         Travel Tagaytay

·         Travel Palawan

·         Travel Bohol

These destinations offer one of a kind holiday packages to choose from. In fact, one can even get a personalized, tailor-fit, and all-in travel and tour package for a genuine luxury travel in the Philippines from a reputable travel agency in the Philippines.

A grandeur underground the depths.

Tradition and religion - A proud collection

The HERO and his shrine.

******

When partying to other counties becomes too mainstream, go to the Philippines. 

Be proud of your colors and your country fellow 9gaggers and readers!

-THIS IS LEGIT

Photoshop Level : Fail - Photoshop and Its Entrails

"The art of the 21st Century that almost got people believing that..."

Perhaps nothing today is not photoshopped. :)

Photoshopping is slang for the digital editing of photos.

The term originates from Adobe Photoshop, the image editor most commonly used by professionals for this purpose; however, other programs, such as Paint Shop Pro, Corel Photopaint, Pixelmator, Paint.NET, or GIMP, may be used.Adobe Systems, the publisher of Adobe Photoshop, discourages use of the term "photoshop" as a verb out of concern that it may undermine the company's trademark.

Despite this, photoshop is widely used as a verb, both colloquially and academically, to refer to retouching, compositing (or splicing), and color balancing carried out in the course of graphic design, commercial publishing, and image editing.

In popular culture, the term photoshopping is sometimes associated with montages in the form of visual jokes, such as those published on the fark.com website and in MAD Magazine. Images may be propagated memetically via e-mail as humor or passed as actual news.An example of the latter category is "Helicopter Shark," which was widely circulated as a so-called "National Geographic Photo of the Year" and was later revealed to be a hoax.

Photo manipulation or photoshopping is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means.

In digital editing, photographs are usually taken with a digital camera and input directly into a computer. Transparencies, negatives or printed photographs may also be digitized using a scanner, or images may be obtained from stock photography databases. With the advent of computers, graphics tablets, and digital cameras, the term image editing encompasses everything that can be done to a photo, whether in a darkroom or on a computer. Photo manipulation is often much more explicit than subtle alterations to color balance or contrast and may involve overlaying a head onto a different body or changing a sign's text, for example. Image editing software can be used to apply effects and warp an image until the desired result is achieved. The resulting image may have little or no resemblance to the photo (or photos in the case of compositing) from which it originated. Today, photo manipulation is widely accepted as an art-form

There are Two types of Image Retouching...

Technical retouching

Manipulation for photo restoration or enhancement (adjusting colors / contrast / white balance (i.e. gradational retouching), sharpness, removing elements or visible flaws on skin or materials ...)

Creative retouching

Used as an art form or for commercial use to create more sleek and interesting creative images for advertisements. Creative retouching could be manipulation for fashion, beauty or advertising photography such as pack-shots (which could also be considered inherently technical retouching in regards to package dimensions and wrap-around factors) One of the most prominent disciplines in creative retouching is image-compositing. Here, the digital artist uses multiple photos to create a single composited image. Today, 3D elements are used more and more to add extra elements or even locations and backgrounds. This kind of image composition is widely used when conventional photography would be technically too difficult or impossible to shoot on location or in studio

When it Fails...

Need an extra hand?

The ONLY cereal that makes you white.

The classic freak - Woman with Three Hands.

But when it succeeds...

Beautiful then, much more beautiful now.

Flawless beauty.

Still successful.

Photo editing has been accepted as a form of art in the 21^st century but it is a very delicate art. It needs a lot of patience and heart on doing so. One does not simply edit photo! 

******

The make-up world has fully changed.

Take it to a higher level of photoshopping fellow 9gaggers and readers!

-seems legit to me

The Kind Of Tablet I Would Want To Spend My Insurances On - Best Tablet PC's

"Tablet PC's sprout like mushrooms growing on your Coke spills under the table."

Seems legit to me.

A tablet PC is a wireless, portable personal computer with a touch screen interface. The tablet form factor is typically smaller than a notebook computer but larger than a smart phone.

The idea of tablet computing is generally credited to Alan Kay of Xerox, who sketched out the idea in 1971. The first widely-sold tablet computer was Apple Computer's Newton, which was not a commercial success. Technological advances in battery life, display resolution, handwriting recognition software, larger memory, and wireless Internet access have since made tablets a viable computing option.

There several styles of tablets:

·         A convertible tablet typically has a display that rotates 180 degrees and can be folded to close, screen up, over the integrated keyboard. Convertible models may allow user input through a variety of methods in addition to the hardware keyboard, including natural handwriting with a stylus or digital pen and typing through a screen-based software keyboard.

·         A slate tablet, such as an iPad, has electronics integrated into the touch screen unit and lacks a hardware keyboard. However, external keyboards are available for slate tablets, some of which function as docks for the devices.

·         A hybrid tablet, sometimes referred to as a convertible or hybrid notebook, is like a regular notebook but with a removable display that functions independently as a slate.

·         A rugged tablet is a slate-like model that is designed to withstand rough handling and extreme conditions. Rugged tablets are usually encased in a protective shell and have shock-protected hard drives.

Top 10 Best Rated and Top Selling Tablet Computers 2012

#1: Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

$199.00 

#2: Samsung Galaxy Tab (10.1-Inch, 16GB, Wi-Fi)

$499.99 

Now that's a way to spend.

 #3: Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB)

$499.00

#4: Apple iPad 2 PC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, WiFi, Black) 2nd Generation

$453.00

#5: Apple iPad 2 MC979LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, White) 2nd Generation

$433.99 

#6: ASUS Transformer Prime TF201-B1-GR Eee Pad 10.1-Inch 32GB Tablet (Amethyst Gray)

$586.99 

#7: Coby Kyros 7-Inch Android 2.3 4 GB Internet Touchscreen Tablet - MID7012-4G (Black)

$129.99

#8: Le Pan TC 970 9.7-Inch Multi-Touch LCD Google Android Tablet PC

$249.99

#9: Apple iPad 2 MC770LL/A Tablet (32GB, Wifi, Black) 2nd Generation

$599.00 

#10: Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (32GB)

$599.00

Why Buy a Tablet PC?

Tablet PCs are quickly becoming the ultimate computing device. They combine the functionality of a notebook with the convenience of a slate tablet to deliver a robust yet portable device that can be used on the go. Tablet PCs are convertible notebooks, consisting of a display screen and a keyboard. In clamshell mode, the device resembles a conventional laptop. However, the device can easily transform into a tablet with a touchscreen you can navigate by fingertip or stylus.

Having problem on choosing your quality tablet? here are some tips on what to look for in buying your own tablet PC!

Not all tablet PCs are created equal, and finding one that suits your needs can be challenging if you don’t know what to look for. There are several factors to consider when looking for the right tablet PC, including design, ease of use, and technical specifications, the latter of which determines the device’s overall performance. We used each of these as our criteria to determine the best tablet PCs on the market.

Ease of Use

Any tablet PC should be easy to operate in both clamshell and tablet mode. The touchscreen should also be sensitive enough to accurately register light swipes and taps through fingertip or stylus input.

Design

The best tablet PCs are those that are designed for portability. Look for models that are sleek, lightweight and durable. You should also take into consideration the device’s dimensions, resolution and screen size. A larger screen size may mean easier navigation in tablet mode but a larger device overall.

A tablet PC should also be easy to convert from clamshell mode to tablet and vice versa. The screen should swivel easily and remain secure while in tablet mode.

Technical Specifications

The technical specifications of a tablet PC refer to what type of processor the device has, the amount of memory, hard drive capacity, battery life, wireless capabilities (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G) and other features. The technical specifications determine how powerful and fast a tablet PC is and how well it performs.

Help & Support

Customer support options supplemented with tablet PCs should be comprehensive and easy to access. The manufacturer should provide technical support via email, telephone or live chat. Additionally, online resources such as a knowledgebase, community forum and product manual should be available for your perusal, if needed.

This category also includes a tablet PC’s warranty. Most come with a standard one-year hardware warranty though a few have exceptional three-year warranties. The longer the warranty offered, the better.

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Never go for fads. Check and assess before going into collective buying.

Have fun in choosing your tablet PCs fellow 9gaggers and readers.

-seems legit to me.