A STUDY by Internet security firm Kaspersky showed the majority of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region are now concerned about their privacy online, but many of them are still willing to sacrifice their private data in exchange for a free service.

Kaspersky said 40% of the consumers it surveyed in the region claimed they had experienced their accounts being accessed by someone without consent, while 39% reported illegal takeover of devices.

It also said 31% reported about confidential data being stolen and used, while 20% confirmed their private information had been accessed and publicly divulged without their permission.

Kaspersky also found out that “more than one-fifth of the users are still willing to sacrifice their privacy to gain a product or a service for free.”

It said 24% of the users “let their guards down by sharing social media account details for funny quizzes.”

“Moreover, 2-in-10 of consumers surveyed also admitted they need some help to learn how to protect their privacy online,” Kaspersky added.

Stephan Neumeier, managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, was quoted as saying: “Our data on hand suggests a complex online behavior within our region. It is a welcome progress that majority of consumers are now concerned about their online privacy but their virtual habits and security know-how must undergo an overhaul.”

“With the current remote working situation in the majority of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, digital privacy should be a concern for both personal users and enterprises. Our corporate networks have reached the comfort of our homes, in turn increasing cybercriminals’ surface of attack. It’s definitely high time to improve cyber hygiene for both our personal and professional reputation and peace of mind,” he added.

As for the consequences of a privacy breach, 39% of Kaspersky’s respondents said they were “disturbed” by spam and advertisements.

Some 33% said they were “stressed,” while 24% reported their personal reputation was “damaged.”

“Cybercriminals tend to follow chaos. Whenever there is a major trend or a crisis, they will use it as a perfect opportunity to exploit the heightened human emotions which make users more vulnerable. To protect yourself during this critical time, it is important to be careful about the personal particulars you share online and to understand how these data will be used. Revisit your privacy settings and tweak them accordingly. The internet is a place of opportunities and anyone can benefit from it as long as we know how to intelligently manage our data and our online habits,” Mr. Neumeier explained.

Kaspersky said private data leak can be avoided if users can “identify potentially dangerous or questionable requests made by an application, and understand the risks associated with different types of common permissions.”

Kaspersky said it offers Security Cloud, which incorporates a “Do Not Track” feature to prevent the loading of tracking elements that monitor users’ actions on websites and collect information about them.

“For businesses, teach employees about the basics of cybersecurity. For example, not opening or storing files from unknown e-mails or websites as they could be harmful to the whole company, or to not use any personal details in their passwords. In order to ensure passwords are strong, staff shouldn’t use their name, birthday, street address and other personal information,” it added.

The company said the study, which involved 3,012 respondents from countries in the Asia-Pacific region, was conducted between January and February 2020. — Arjay L. Balinbin

CHINESE multinational technology company Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. said the coronavirus pandemic will not have a significant impact on its operations in the short term but warned that a further spread of the virus will bring uncertainty to the continuity of its market supply.

“The pandemic won’t have much of a short-term impact on Huawei. As of today, most of our factories in China have resumed production and our total production capacity has recovered to normal levels,” the company said in a statement it provided to reporters after the Asia Pacific 5G Online Tour on May 20.

It said its supply hubs outside of China are working with its partners to support efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus diseases 2019 or COVID-19.

“Currently, production and operations in these supply centers are normal and supply risks are being adequately managed,” it added.

Huawei also said “further spread” of the virus that cannot be controlled “will create new long-term challenges and bring uncertainty to the continuity of its market supply.”

To ensure supply continuity and stability, the company said it is strictly enforcing infection prevention and control measures across its supplier network.

“These efforts will help them resume production while ensuring that their employees are healthy and safe,” it said.

During the online tour, Huawei officials showed to reporters its 5G exhibition hall named after Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei.

Huawei said it has invested a total of $4 billion in research and development work for 5G. “We have established nine 5G standards and research centers worldwide, have more than 500 experts working on standards, and hold positions in over 100 standards organizations,” it said.

Citing customer feedback, the company said it is “two to three years” ahead of its competitors.

“We believe that 5G…is much safer than any other technologies such as 4G and 3G. This is the key message we want to share.” Huawei India Chief Executive Officer Jay Chen said.

Huawei, which has been conducting research on 5G since 2009, said it now owns “3,367 families of 5G patents, accounting for more than 20% of the total and ranking No. 1 among all vendors.”

“We are committed to be the enabler of Asia Pacific’s digital transformation, including policy consultant on national digital strategy, and providing faster, safer, more efficient digital infrastructure (4G/5G Wireless +Wired, Ultra Broadband),” the Chinese technology firm also said. — Arjay L. Balinbin