Computer security is in the spotlight at the world's biggest IT fair, the CeBIT, with software companies touting the latest defenses against ever more devious tricks in Internet fraud.
Firms gathered at the event in the northern German city of Hanover said a technique known as "phishing" -- from the words password and fishing -- was among the most insidious scams operating on the Web.
The practice involves e-mails sent to clients from sites imitating banks' Web sites that asked for personal passwords, security codes as well as bank and credit card numbers.
When unsuspecting users click on the links provided, they end up giving away the most sensitive of information to thieves.
Often the targets are not even clients of the financial institutions in question, but a mass "phishing" expedition can bring in a healthy haul even if only a small percentage falls for the trick.
The world leader in Internet security systems, Symantec, said that 33 million "phishing" mails had been sent in the course of just one week, versus nine million six months earlier.
"It's a very easy fraud scheme to launch that is not very expensive and can be very lucrative," said Olaf Lindner, director of security services for central and eastern Europe.
In that six-month period, Symantec recorded 10,310 different kinds of phishing schemes, Lindner said.
The company has developed a personal firewall to help protect clients against these malicious e-mails.
Experts also have a number of tips for consumers.
Never click on a link in a mail but rather type out the address in the URL field. If the mail appears to be from a bank, check to make sure the address begins with "https" and there is a small padlock in the navigator window at the bottom right of the screen indicating a secure site.
Russian Internet security firm Kaspersky said the industry was still playing catch-up in the fight against phishing.
"These are organized groups trying to make money," anti-virus expert Eugene Kaspersky said.
Last year, phishing cost Internet users US$4 million, according to Kaspersky.
A study published in January by the Anti-Phishing Working Group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts found 2,560 phishing Web sites. They masked themselves as 64 different companies, up from 46 in October last year, and 80 percent of them were trying to pose as a bank or other financial institution, often smaller neighborhood firms.
Most of the sites were based in the US (32 percent), followed by China and Taiwan (13 percent), and South Korea (10 percent).
The CeBIT is expected to attract at least 500,000 visitors before wrapping up on Wednesday.
UNCERTAINTY: Innolux activated a stringent supply chain management mechanism, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure optimal inventory levels for customers Flat-panel display makers AUO Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said that about 12 to 20 percent of their display business is at risk of potential US tariffs and that they would relocate production or shipment destinations to mitigate the levies’ effects. US tariffs would have a direct impact of US$200 million on AUO’s revenue, company chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told reporters on the sidelines of the Touch Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday. That would make up about 12 percent of the company’s overall revenue. To cope with the tariff uncertainty, AUO plans to allocate its production to manufacturing facilities in
Taiwan will prioritize the development of silicon photonics by taking advantage of its strength in the semiconductor industry to build another shield to protect the local economy, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said yesterday. Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee, Liu said Taiwan already has the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as a shield, after the semiconductor industry, to safeguard the country, and is looking at new unique fields to build more economic shields. While Taiwan will further strengthen its existing shields, over the longer term, the country is determined to focus on such potential segments as
TAKING STOCK: A Taiwanese cookware firm in Vietnam urged customers to assess inventory or place orders early so shipments can reach the US while tariffs are paused Taiwanese businesses in Vietnam are exploring alternatives after the White House imposed a 46 percent import duty on Vietnamese goods, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on the US’ trading partners. Lo Shih-liang (羅世良), chairman of Brico Industry Co (裕茂工業), a Taiwanese company that manufactures cast iron cookware and stove components in Vietnam, said that more than 40 percent of his business was tied to the US market, describing the constant US policy shifts as an emotional roller coaster. “I work during the day and stay up all night watching the news. I’ve been following US news until 3am
COLLABORATION: Given Taiwan’s key position in global supply chains, the US firm is discussing strategies with local partners and clients to deal with global uncertainties Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) yesterday said it is meeting with local ecosystem partners, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), to discuss strategies, including long-term manufacturing, to navigate uncertainties such as US tariffs, as Taiwan occupies an important position in global supply chains. AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) told reporters that Taiwan is an important part of the chip designer’s ecosystem and she is discussing with partners and customers in Taiwan to forge strong collaborations on different areas during this critical period. AMD has just become the first artificial-intelligence (AI) server chip customer of TSMC to utilize its advanced
RSS