Posts Tagged Arab World
Saudi supercomputer ranked as fourteenth most powerful worldwide
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in News on June 29, 2009
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) new super computer has taken 14th place in the global list of the top 500 supercomputers compiled by www.top500.org.
The IBM Blue Gene/P System, named Shaheen, recorded a peak processing power of 185 Teraflops, ranking it among the top twenty high performance computing worldwide on its first entry into the list.
Majid Al-Ghaslan, KAUST’s interim CIO said: “Shaheen is the cornerstone of the knowledge-based economy that Saudi Arabia is seeking to develop. The deep computing capabilities Shaheen can deliver will unite the best of business and scientific computing techniques and will enable us to find the value buried in growing volumes of data and apply that information to solve real-world problems. Through our collaboration with IBM, we are finding it possible to tackle problems of unbelievable complexity—things we couldn’t dream of doing even a few years ago.”
The Shaheen system, first announced in September last year, is being run as a joint project between IBM’s Centre for Deep Computing Research and the private university, with the aim of providing high performance computing power for researchers across a range of disciplines, and to encourage research in the region.
[Source: itp.net]
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From Tunisia, UNCTAD to improve Internet security in North Africa
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in Cybersecurity event on June 14, 2009
UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov reviewed the status of the Tunisian customs-modernization project — developed with UNCTAD and expected to enter service this summer — and expressed the wish that Tunisian expertise in cybersecurity will enable UNCTAD to establish a Centre of Excellence in the country to help nations in the region improve computer and Internet security.
Mr. Draganov undertook the 6-8 May trip to carry out talks in preparation for the ICT4All Forum in Tunisia, part of follow-up to the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), also held in Tunisia. The ICT4All is organized annually in Hammamet by the Tunisian Government, in close collaboration with UNCTAD and in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union and the Global Alliance of ICT for Development.
While in Tunisia, the Deputy Secretary-General was given a presentation of an ASYCUDA customs modernization project by Tunisian customs staff at their headquarters. A full-fledged ASYCUDA World prototype is being finalized and will enter live operation over the summer. Mr. Draganov told the project management team that training and transfer of know-how between UNCTAD experts and Tunisian officials had been effectively carried out. ASYCUDA is UNCTAD’s largest technical assistance programme and has helped modernize customs operations in more than 90 countries.
Tunisian Minister of Finance Mohamed Rachid Kchich stressed the importance of the ASYCUDAWorld project, which has been endorsed by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and reiterated the strong commitment of the Government to completing it. He and Mr. Draganov also shared their views about the world economic situation, with a particular focus on the impact on the Tunisian economy.
During the visit, the Deputy Secretary-General also met with El Haj Gley, Minister of Communication Technologies, Chokri Mamoghli, Secretary of State in the Ministry for Trade, and.Slimen Ourak, Tunisian Director General of Customs.
[Source: Global Arab Network]
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More than just social networking
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in Q&A on June 14, 2009
Whether you “tag”, “poke” or “tweet”, or prefer a more “delicious” “digging” or “flickering” online experience, you are engaging in something more than just social networking. You are part of an e-revolution that is changing many of our core beliefs, assumptions and behaviors.
The first comprehensive book written for a wide audience on the Web 2.0 revolution, “Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom” highlights how Web 2.0 is fundamentally changing the way we live and work. ictQATAR had this exclusive interview with INSEAD professor & the author of the book, Dr. Soumitra Dutta, who was also the first speaker for ictQATAR’s Connected Speaker Series.
You can find the whole interview at Global Arab Networkq4mt5fbu6e
Etisalat, du to block SMS spam
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in News on June 8, 2009
Mohamed Al Ghanim, director-general of the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has said that spam SMSs that broadcast files to be downloaded by the mobile holder are considered a hacking tool, and that subscribers are advised not to accept such files. He said that Etisalat has already provided a service to block spam messages, while Du is working on a similar solution. ‘We advise subscribers not to give their phone numbers to entities and parties that are unknown to them,’ he added.
[Source: AME INFO]
ABB to strengthen Saudi Arabian power network
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in News on May 29, 2009
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth USD 100 million for substations to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s transmission and distribution network.
ABB will design, supply, install and commission three 110 kilovolt substations that will serve the growing power needs of the Mecca region. Based on ABB’s gas-insulated switchgear technology, the substations have a compact footprint and will be located within the city to serve commercial and residential areas under development.
As part of turnkey projects, ABB will deliver gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, low-voltage auxiliary systems, network protection and control systems, as well as communication and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) solutions to help monitor and control the network.
Mr Peter Leupp head of ABB’s Power Systems division said that “Besides boosting capacity and increasing grid reliability, these substations will help improve energy efficiency, strengthen power transmission in the region, improve power quality and enable better control of the distribution network.”
The substations are scheduled to be commissioned in 2011 and will be operated by Saudi Electric Company, the national power generation and distribution utility. They will help to develop the power infrastructure around Mecca.
[Source: Steel Guru]
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Kuwait, Interpol fight cybercrime
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in Cybercrime & Hacking on May 28, 2009
The State of Kuwait is closely coordinating with the Interpol at the level of fighting cybercrime, an official said yesterday. Director of the Security Information Department and official spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior Colonel Mohammad Al-Sabr, revealed that high level coordination was currently underway between the Interpol and Kuwait Interpol to address all Internet crimes.
Al-Sabr told a news briefing that this coordination falls within the framework of guidance of the senior leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and direct instructions of Assistant Undersecretary for Criminal Security Affairs Lieutenant General Ghazi al-Omar and follow-up by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Major General Abdul Hamid Al-Awadi and director of cyber crime prevention department Colonel Adel Al-Subaie. He said the Kuwaiti Interpol is involved in campaigns launched by the international Interpol against porn sites in many countries of the world such as Europe and America, including the (Tornado) campaign in the city of Wiesbaden, Germany, against the exploitation of children and minors in sex activities.
[Source: Kuwait Times]
Yemen ranked high on hacking
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in News on May 27, 2009
An international report has put Yemen among the world’s top ten countries with highest rates of computer hacking, ranking it 8th.
The report issued by the Business Software Alliance for 2008 on world programming companies noted that hacking rates in Yemen reached 89 percent.
Georgia was top and Bangladesh, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Moldova came higher than Yemen.
At the Arab level, Yemen was top and Libya second while a single Muslim state came below Yemen.
Computer hacking in the last year grew by 41 percent for computer programs, causing huge losses for programming companies estimated at $ 53 billion.
Specialists and experts blame the increase in hacking on bad legislation, the absence of world programming companies representation in the country, unfit facilitations provided by global programming companies in Yemen; all these besides the absence of the people’s awareness about the significance of licensing and technical support for original copies of programs.
Because of ineffective legislation to protect intellectual property and difficult economic situation with computer program users being unable to buy original programs, hacking is prevailed in Yemen, director general of the Yemeni Information Corporation Aws al-Eryani said.
In 2007, Yemen lost almost $ 13 million due to computer hacking.
In addition, another reason for the surge in hacking in Yemen is that web-hosting companies and overseers don’t pay more attention to security measures to protect their websites.
[Source: Saba Net]
Protecting Qatar’s children in cyberspace
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in News on May 17, 2009
It is a good idea for parents to spend time online with children in order to learn their interests and Internet activities
By Dr Hessa al-Jaber/Doha
Today, as countries all over the world mark World Telecommunications and Information Society Day, we marvel at how the telecommunications industry has rapidly evolved from telegraphing to tweeting. The theme for this year, Protecting Children in Cyberspace, reminds of how changes in telecommunications have not only brought tremendous benefits, but also requires us to be vigilant in ensuring new technologies are used for good.
The Internet offers remarkable benefits to adults and children who can use online resources to boost school performance, expand learning, become familiar with other cultures, and maintain a network of acquaintances around the world. Evidence exists that children’s effective use of the Internet leads to student success, and ultimately, professional success.
But for all the opportunities on the Internet to help children soar, personally and scholastically, online dangers abound. Strangers, pretending to be someone else can communicate with children. Unsolicited e-mail – spam – about websites with sexually explicit material can arrive in e-mail inboxes. Requests for personal information for contests or surveys can be used in unauthorised ways.
Cyberbullying – intimidating, frightening, or threatening texts or e-mails sent to children -seems to be increasing. And countless easily accessed websites and chat rooms are filled with detailed information on extreme, vulgar, bigoted, and violent activities.
Protecting children on the Internet is both an individual and a community responsibility. Everyone who cares about young people must play a role in keeping them safe – parents, teachers, family, and friends.
At ictQATAR, through our Qatar Computer Emergency Response Team (Q-CERT), we continue to work with the Supreme Education Council (SEC) and private schools in Qatar to hold workshops for educators in both Arabic and English. Driven by the goal of promoting security awareness, the workshops help teachers develop ways to present security concerns to students in an age-appropriate fashion. Teachers also learn how to partner with families to protect children in cyberspace.
[Source: Gulf Times]
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Saudi set to form new unit to fight cybercrime
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in Cybercrime on May 12, 2009
Saudi Arabia is launching a new crackdown on cybercrimes, including fraud, in the kingdom, it emerged on Sunday.
A specialised department to look into online criminal activity will be formed in all the criminal investigation and criminal evidence departments in the country, it has been announced.
Lt Gen Saeed Al-Qahtani, the director general of Public Security, revealed the plan while attending an investigation department workshop on financial crimes in Riyadh, Saudi Gazette reported.
He said that because web-related crime was posing a threat to public security, authorities needed to act to fight back.
Specialists will be used to fight the criminals online, he said, and the latest equipments would be used to find evidence and prosecute offenders.
[Source: arabianbusiness]
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DNS hole leads to hack Google.co.ma!
Posted by Mourad Ben Lakhoua in Cybercrime & Hacking, Vulnerabilities on May 11, 2009
The Google Morocco domain (Google.co.ma) was briefly hacked on Saturday May 10 by hackers referring to themselves as ‘PAKbugs’.
Google.co.ma is functioning again, but for several hours on Saturday the site was down and this gave enough opportunity for people visiting the site to generate screenshots of the hacked domain. When users visited the site, they briefly saw a message that said “HackeD By PAKbugs. We are ZombiE_KsA Cyber Criminal spo0fer x00mx00m”.
The domain was pointed to a different server, and the message mentioned above was shown when people tried to access the search engine. Google at one point reportedly relayed visitors from Morocco to Google.com instead of Google.co.ma, but it took a while before Google Morocco was functioning correctly again.
PAKbugs.com is a forum of Pakistani hackers, and the forum boasts of the successful hack here.
Popular blog TechCrunch suggests that the hackers hacked the site by possibly finding a way through NIC.ma, which controls the DNS (Domain Name Service) for Morocco.
At Sectech we have published the DNS cache-poisoning flaw this vulnerability allow a hackers to redirect Web traffic and e-mails to systems under their control this hole affects several products from multiple vendors so the only solution to mitigate the risks currently is to patch the Domain Name Server and apply the latest update.
You can find mirror of the attack here
[Source: ITP]
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