Thursday, June 6, 2024

Time to Rethink Water Use; Six months of free water, rebates

Penangites waking up to higher water bill reality

From cheap to pinch: Penangites are unhappy about the new water tariff hike as they feel it is a burden. — KT GOH/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Having boasted the cheapest water in the country for almost 30 years, Penangites received a wake-up call when the new water tariff was announced.

Now, many Penangites realise that they had taken cheap water for granted and they are feeling the pinch.

Retiree Mariam Abdul, 59, said her household of six family members saw their two-month water bill shoot from about RM50 to RM150.

Penang homes are billed for water once every two months since 25 years ago.

“We never really thought about how much water we used because our water bills were always so low,” she said.

The recent increase has prompted Mariam to become more mindful and encourage her family members to adopt better habits.

According to the former teacher they have begun checking for leaks, installing water-saving devices and turning off taps while brushing teeth or washing dishes.

“It has been a learning curve, but it is worth trying,” said the grandmother of four.

This sentiment is echoed by another Penangite, Ronny Lim, 39, who described his latest water bill as a “wake-up call”.

“We used to take things lightly, like using the water hose freely while washing our cars. Now, we start with a pail of soapy water before spraying the cars down,” he said.

The factory technician even stopped his children from playing with water while taking long baths.

“With the cost of almost everything going up now, I guess the price of water must go up too,” Lim said.

For the first 20,000 litres, Penangites used to pay just 22 sen per 1,000 litres. As of February, that became 62 sen (up 182%).

For 21,000 litres to 35,000 litres, it became RM1.17 per 1,000 litres (up 154% from 46 sen). Additional water consumption incurs much higher surcharges.

Penang’s water rates had stayed the same for almost 30 years, causing tap water here to be the cheapest in the country for over a generation.

Although water rates in all states were reviewed earlier this year, hundreds of Penangites had lodged official complaints and even the state assemblymen grumbled.

One of them was Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong from DAP, who said the increase has burdened the people from the lower-income group.

“We are not opposed to the increase, but it should have been implemented gradually and incrementally, rather than a sudden 200% hike,” he said.

Seberang Jaya assemblyman Izhar Shah Arif Shah from Bersatu said, “don’t expect people to accept a high increase. It should be done in stages, not abruptly.”

Penang infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said it was high time now for Penangites to use water wisely as it is a vital resource.

He said that despite the increase, the Penang water tariff is still among the lowest in the country.“The increase will help raise funds for much-needed water infrastructure projects such as pipe replacements and the building of new water treatment plants to ensure our water security,” he said.

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Six months of free water, rebates

Easing the burden: The Penang government responds to criticism over new water tariffs by offering 10,000 litres of water free for six months, starting July. Households will save RM6.20 per bill, with larger families earning below RM5,000 receiving an additional RM20 rebate. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: After receiving widespread criticism for its new domestic water tariff rates introduced in February, the Penang government has decided to offer consumers the first 10,000 litres of water for free for the next six months starting July.

Since Penang households are billed for water once every two months, this rebate will translate into savings of RM6.20 per bill for consumers.

Larger households with income of below RM5,000 will receive a RM20 rebate under the Family Friendly Rebate scheme, said Penang infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.

“The exemption and rebate will be given from July to December.

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“The state takes note of complaints regarding the new domestic water tariff rates following readjustment by the National Water Service Commission (SPAN) which has been in effect since February.

“Although Penang still enjoys the second lowest tariff in the country with the new tariff rates, many had complained due to the drastic increase from the previous tariff which was adjusted after 31 years for the first band (20 cubic metres) and nine years for the other bands.

“Therefore, the state has instructed the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) to offer rebate for those residing in Penang,” he said in a statement yesterday.

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According to Zairil, the rebates are provided to reduce the financial burden of the people.

“Water would be free for the first 10,000 litres for each bill for the next six months from July to December.

“The RM20 Family Friendly Rebate scheme for large households (eight people and above) would be expanded to those with an income of RM5,000 and below; an increase from RM2,250 previously,” he said.

With the rebates, Zairil said all domestic water consumers would enjoy a rebate of RM6.20 for each bill.

“For example, users in the first band only need to pay RM6.20 (RM12.40 minus RM6.20) for two months, while consumers in the second band, billed for RM30, only need to pay RM23.80 for two months’ consumption,” he added.

There are around 660,000 PBAPP account holders in Penang.

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Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Vishing meets AI: The changing nature of phishing threats

Vishing attacks are potentially more dangerous than ordinary phishing attacks because they make a personal connection with the target victim, making the scenario a whole lot more believable. — Image by freepik

The use or artificial intelligence in vishing scams is set to worsen as cybercriminals exploit advanced voice cloning to deceive victims.

There's been a profound shift in how phishing attacks are executed. Earlier forms of phishing focused primarily on email, but nowadays threat actors are increasingly weaponising phone and voice calls (aka vishing or voice phishing) to con or compromise users. In fourth quarter 2023, vishing attacks rose by 260% when compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.

What is vishing?

Vishing is a type of voice-based fraud or social engineering attack where threat actors contact potential victims using a phone or a voice call to win their trust and convince them to complete an action or give up sensitive information. Vishing attacks are potentially more dangerous than ordinary phishing attacks because they make a personal connection with the target victim, making the scenario a whole lot more believable.

How does vishing work?

Using a simple phone call, vishing attacks exploit human emotions such as greed, lust, fear, compassion, or urgency, and trick victims into giving up sensitive information or carrying out an action. For example, a fake charity requesting donations for a noble cause like disaster relief; a stranger impersonating an IRS official threatening the victim with fines or imprisonment unless they make an immediate tax payment; a romance scam where the perpetrator pleads for the victim to transfer funds for a family emergency; a fake caller informing someone about sweepstakes winnings where the victim must pay taxes and fees in advance; a random call from an alleged IT support person asking the employee to share their credentials to help troubleshoot an access or connectivity issue.

A new twist involving instances of hybrid vishing are being reported where attackers use a combination of email phishing and vishing to communicate with the victim. For example, an email message instructs the recipient that they have been charged with a service and how they must call a number immediately to cancel an expensive order. Some bad actors use a spoofed phone number (aka caller ID spoofing) to impersonate a legitimate person or an organisation.

Artificial intelligence meets vishing: A deadly combination

Thanks to the increased proliferation and sophistication of AI-based voice cloning technologies, anyone can clone someone else's voice using a simple 10-15 second audio clip. (Microsoft claims they can do it in three seconds.) Not surprisingly, threat actors have already begun exploiting these tools to create highly advanced and targeted vishing attacks.

The MGM Resorts cyberattack that caused about US$100mil (RM470mil) in losses was executed by a vishing call where the attacker impersonated a regular employee and called the MGM helpdesk to obtain access credentials. In South Korea, a doctor wired US$3mil (RM14mil) in cash, stock and cryptocurrencies to cybercriminals impersonating regional law-enforcement officials. In Hong Kong, an employee wired US$25mil (RM117mil) after interacting with a deepfake CFO over a Zoom call. A CEO of a UK-based energy company was scammed into transferring US$243,000 (RM1.1mil) thinking he was interacting with his German counterpart.

With AI technologies evolving rapidly, vishing attacks will be executed at a massive scale and with high precision. Conventional vishing attacks use automated voice recordings and robocalls while future attacks will use AI to converse live with victims. Adding insult to injury, a four-word phone scam is the latest threat. Scammers call and ask, "Can you hear me?" to which the victim replies, "Yes." Boom – the victim's voice gets cloned.

How can organisations mitigate the risk of vishing attacks?

Phishing attacks jumped 60% in the last year thanks to AI-based voice cloning technologies and deepfake phishing attacks. Below are some recommendations and best practices organizations can adopt to mitigate the threat of vishing attacks:

1. Improve vishing awareness among employees: Vishing prevention starts with continuous employee security awareness. Organisations must remind employees of vishing risks and reinforce the importance of being cautious and vigilant. Include vishing examples and scenarios in your security training and newsletters and other awareness materials.

2. Invest in employee training: Using phishing simulation exercises and hands-on training, employees must be taught to recognise and report vishing attacks. They must be taught to identify red flags – unfamiliar area codes, strange accents, or out-of-the-blue messages; sudden, unexpected or urgent requests for money transfers and the like.

3. Update policies to reflect vishing risks: Company policies, documentation, and processes must be updated with vishing guidance so that employees are clear on the standard code of conduct, especially when it involves voice calls. If you're worried the caller is a scammer, hang up; think before you speak. Never share personal information or credentials with random callers, when in doubt, double check the caller's identity.

Studies show that two-thirds of enterprises are not prepared to deal with vishing attacks and more than three-quarters do not invest resources in voice fraud protection.

While governments, telcos and industry bodies might be attempting to crack down on vishing through tools like deepfake audio detectors and voice biometrics, it's incumbent on organisations to educate and train employees so they have an additional layer of protection against such crafty and insidious kinds of cyberattacks and social engineering threats. – Inc./Tribune News Service

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China makes history as it nails second landing on Moon’s far side

Video: https://x.com/i/status/1797082273982132735

HISTORY MADE: Chang’e-6 lands on far side of the moon to collect unique ... https://youtu.be/r0YqKP-Eyhs?si=H8VQRIgeH1XLVB4K via @YouTube

This image taken from video animation at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on June 2, 2024 shows the lander-ascender combination of Chang'e 6 probe touches down on the far side of the moon. Photo: VCG

China has successfully landed its second spacecraft - the Chang'e-6 unmanned probe - on the Moon's far side on Sunday, when no other country has done it once. The feat marks a key milestone in achieving its mission to bring home, for the first time in human history, samples from an unexplored region from Earth's natural satellite, as stargazers around the world hold their breaths for this epic moment.

Sunday's historic moment was also hailed by Western media. Chinese experts said while the US is setting unrealistic, grand goals but giving it a tight schedule in order to outpace China, China is steadily moving forward step by step, achieving concrete and rich results.

The lander-ascender combination of the Chang'e-6 probe, after traveling in orbit for some 30 days since its May 3 launch, touched down at the designated landing area at 6:23 am (Beijing Time) in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.

The powered descent began at 6:09 am. The main engine with variable thrust was ignited, and the combination quickly adjusted its attitude and gradually approached the lunar surface.

Soft landing on the Moon has always been a key hurdle for countries around the world in their lunar explorations. Last August, India became the fourth country following the US, the former Soviet Union and China to conquer the feat with its Chandrayaan-3 probe, after its first such attempt failed in 2019.

Japan also made it to the Moon in January this year, but its SLIM lander overturned during the process of landing, arriving upside-down on the lunar surface which put the solar panels in shadow and soon resulting in battery shortage for the lander.

Landing on the far side of the Moon is even more challenging, or as some have described it, the moment where the chance of failure is the highest. This is because the far side is always facing away from the Earth and is marked by numerous deep and shadowy craters, making it difficult to have direct communications and posing high demand for robotic landing operations, experts said.

"It's just like landing a small truck in the midst of towering mountains and ridges, where every step must be taken seriously," Xinhua News Agency said in a report on Sunday.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the smooth soft landing signaled China's competent lunar landing techniques, with the Queqiao-2 relay satellite providing sufficient communication efficiency and transmission rates, managing to bridge the communication link when ground control cannot directly observe the status of the lunar rover.

Despite having communication relays on the far side, however, the transmission signals still had time delays, which required the Chang'e-6 probe adjusting its position and making obstacle avoidances all by itself. Such real-time responses need a highly intelligent and automated system, Wang said.

Within 48 hours after landing, a robotic arm will be extended to scoop rocks and soil from the lunar surface, and a drill will bore into the ground.

Due to the moon's obstruction, the Earth-moon communication window period on the far side of the moon, even with the help of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite service, is still shorter than that on the near side. Therefore, the sampling time of Chang'e-6 will be reduced to only 14 hours, compared with the 22 hours used by its predecessor Chang'e-5, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Steady progress

The historic moment made by the Chang'e-6 mission has made headlines in multiple mainstream Western media outlets.

The AP said the Chnag'e-6 could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

The AP described the moon program as "part of a growing rivalry with the US - still the leader in space exploration - and others."

Reuters, on Sunday, also reported that "the landing elevates China's space power status in a global rush to the moon," where countries including the US are hoping to exploit lunar minerals to sustain long-term astronaut missions and moon bases within the next decade.

The US also has its own ambitious moon program called the Artemis. The program envisions a crewed moon landing by late 2026, relying heavily on private companies. However, the program has met several major delays that put a question mark on whether it could meet its grand goals.

Following a successful uncrewed test flight in late 2022, NASA had planned to launch a crewed lunar flyby mission called Artemis II in November 2024. In a press briefing in January, NASA officials revealed that the mission would be delayed until September 2025. Artemis III - the program's first crewed lunar landing - has slipped as well, pushed back to September 2026, according to publications.

The US' moon program is featured by is its grandiose goals, Wang said. The expert took an example of the Gateway Space Station around the moon by NASA and using it as a base for manned lunar exploration, "possibly even venturing into deeper space from this point."

However, it seems contradictory that while pursuing such grandiose goals, the US has set a tight schedule for its technical research and development, as the US government is determined to "being faster than China," Wang noted.

The expert further noted that while the US' manned lunar landing aims to make a revolutionary leap from the Apollo program decades ago, it set an ambitious deadline around 2026, which will inevitably pose significant technical risks, highlighting the uncertainty in the current US lunar exploration efforts.

In contrast, China's lunar exploration project has been built step by step, relying on the footsteps of previous missions. It would be a natural outcome if China could land its taikonauts on the moon by 2030, Wang believes.

Wang noted that China is steadily moving forward, leaving clear footprints and achieving fruitful results. "If Chang'e-6 successfully returns with samples from the moon's far side, these samples will provide key information for understanding the moon's origins, geological changes, and even some information about the early formation of the universe."

With China's continuous success in deep space exploration, the prospects for international cooperation are expanding, observers said. China's high success rate in deep space exploration, particularly lunar missions, demonstrates its reliability and safety in operating unmanned spacecraft, making it an ideal partner for collaboration.

In the current era of increased geopolitical tensions, the Chang'e 6 mission is "a rare example of constructive international collaboration," Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University in Australia was quoted as saying in The Conversation.

The Chang'e-6 mission has brought up four international payloads to the Moon, including the European Space Agency's lunar surface ion composition analyzer, France's radon detection instrument, Italy's laser corner reflector, and a CubeSat from Pakistan, the CNSA revealed to the Global Times. Now the payloads will begin conducting scientific research as planned, the administration said.