As the adoption of cloud computing services has grown in popularity in recent years, the circumstances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftereffects have only accelerated the entire process. In a statement by Gartner, by the year 2025, over 85% of organisations will implement a cloud-first principle, and tipping over 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms. Within the shifting of frameworks, organisations will transition to a product-oriented operating model in which the total value flow of the business and IT must be equally matched by its products. Undeniably, the accelerated pace at which enterprises are moving to the cloud is within reason and benefits, one of which is the sheer agility and accelerated innovation whereby rapid growth performance and faster time to market are inherently observed. Bundled together is the absolute quality of service reliability, ensuring constant availability at peak performance that is secure against cyber threats. Not to mention, the cost efficiency that comes from relieving the need to purchase and operate on-premises equipment leads to a direct increase in general productivity. Employee upskilling or reskilling is the most efficient option towards meeting an organisation’s demand for a cloud-based skillset in the face of a burgeoning skill gap and a scarcity of cloud expertise. While most may prefer to hire new employees, the process of recruitment and onboarding can be both time-consuming and costly. However, in order to generate a greater return on investing in the cloud, it's imperative that a holistic cloud training programme is developed to adapt towards a multitude of job roles and project requirements, as well as address rapidly changing technology and management concerns. This is exactly the reason why Google aims to equip more than 40 million people with Google Cloud skills, as announced by Google Cloud Learning Services Managing Director, Rochana Golani, ensuring that the skill level of people around the world is able to comprehend and execute these technologies at a global scale. Retraining, upskilling, and reskilling employees with Google Cloud Learning is the optimum way for enterprises looking to digitally transform their workspace. In March 2022, we partnered with the International Data Corporation (IDC) to investigate the effect of training on cloud adoption, whereby trained organisations are able to achieve business goals faster (56% improvement in customer experience scores), accelerate cloud adoption (10 times more likely to implement cloud in two years), and achieve greater ROI (over 90% influence on key business outcomes). With Google Cloud Learning, organisations are able to construct a team of cloud experts with a comprehensive and holistic catalogue of programmes and content, providing practical applications. On top of that, it allows for maintaining competitiveness that bridges the organisational skill gap across the board and also empowers ready employees with industry-leading digital credentials. Offering a diverse range of content that is created for both technical and non-technical roles, Google Cloud Learning is able to help the entire company from business leaders all the way to technical practitioners. We study skills and job profiles both from within our organisation and externally, to continuously evaluate and innovate our content offering. A specialised curriculum development team works collaboratively with the Google Cloud product and engineering teams to stay current on product roadmaps and technology. Curriculum developers also cooperate with field teams to make certain that quality standards are incorporated into technical and business learning offerings. A variety of options that address the different learning styles across your organisation are readily available, which includes on-demand training (Google Cloud Skills Boost, Coursera, and Pluralsight), hands-on learning, virtual and in-person training, custom training and gamified competitions.

With the increased reliance on interconnected cloud technologies, there is a rising demand for an equally tiered cybersecurity framework. At Rocheston, the belief in instilling unconventional thinking and establishing an intuitive understanding of reasoning in oneself is highly valued. As a result, the Rocheston Cybersecurity Certification Engineer (RCCE) exam and programmes are designed intricately to encourage innovation, create brilliance, and uphold industry standards. By its very nature, this allows Rocheston to continue striving for newer challenges and adapting to the current meta by cultivating a special breed of thinkers in present. But firstly, the value of a cybersecurity engineer in an organisation speaks volumes in itself, whereby they’ll most often be found serving as the team's foundation and go-to person for security procedures and protocols. Their roles include pinpointing vulnerabilities and threats in systems and software before the development and implementation of high-tech solutions, to innately defend against the dangers of malware, ransomware, hacking, insider threats and generally all types of cybercrime-related issues. This is precisely why such a vital role is hard to fulfil, with a multitude of companies rejecting candidates with only certifications on paper, no industry experience and amateurish security skills. Going through the RCCE however, will equip oneself with the necessary skills and job requirements, that not only typically commands an annual salary of $117,510, but also allow for an extensive range of choices in job roles such as Cyberforensic Investigator, Cybersecurity Analyst, Engineer, Architect, Software Developer, Administrator Penetration Tester, Vulnerability Assessor, Compliance Officer Cryptographer, Intrusion Detection Specialist, Computer Security Incident Responder, Cyberthreat Intelligence Analyst, Cybercrime Investigator, Network & Application Security Engineer and so much more. The RCCE programme prides itself on being the most advanced hacking course in the world, having its framework focally training based on methodologies that are mapped in accordance with the Remote Call Framework (RCF) structure while making use of 100% practical labs, and additionally delineated to the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) Job Roles. Traversing through the RCCE programmes will also include and explore modern web application frameworks like Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Rails, Ember, Express.JS, Backbone.JS, Vue.JS, Spring, React, Angular.JS, AWS, Python Django and Laravel. A quick overview of the RCCE Certification Roadmap requires candidates to possess either CompTIA Network+ or CCNA as prerequisites to join the RCCE programme, which then leads to Level 1 (Cybersecurity Engineer). After certifying the foundation, an advanced course of RCCE/RCPT Level 2 Penetration Testing commences, which then amicably leads to coursing through Level 3 (RCCI Cybercrime Investigator) and eventually ending up on an expert tier course of Level 4 (Cybersecurity Compliance Officer (CCO)). Diving deeper into the practices, RCCE exercises require the use of Rocheston Rosé, a simplistic cloud OS designed by Jason Springfield containing thousands of hacking tools, frameworks, applications, databases, exploits, scripts and more. Rocheston Rosé also possesses tons of additional Virtualbox images, which can be extracted to the host PC and imported into one’s external Virtualbox environments. Experiencing a beautiful desktop OS designed by Rocheston, it’s often practically used as attack victim boxes. Another vital component of the RCCE programme is the use of Rocheston CyberLabs, a fully packaged Linux OS which contains more than 50 individualised cybersecurity lab exercises. Labtainers, a Docker-based cyber lab framework, provide governed and reliable operational environments in which students complete labs wholly on their computers. Some of its main components include exploring over 200 vulnerable services from the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge, simple routing examples with two LANs and an internet connection via NAT, application of ARP spoofing for man-in-the-middle attacks, system log basic usage and configuration on a CentOS system and etc. On that note, Rocheston and the RCCE programme aim to be the recognised global leader in business accreditation standards by assisting businesses in succeeding in rapidly evolving technology markets. The training and certification programmes provided will teach professionals how to be exceptional while also building profitable, innovative businesses.

The ESG Edge Award is a significant milestone in our sustainability journey and it reconfirms our commitment to sustainability and our dedication to creating a positive social and environmental impact. We are proud and humbled to accept this award and will continue to strive for further excellence in sustainability. Read more at https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/edges-inaugural-esg-awards-honours-44-winners

Introduction From January until March 2022, a competition for teachers all around Malaysia was held by Awantec & Google, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE). Known as “Guru Kreatif Google”, it was meant to encourage teachers to utilise the Google applications available via the DELIMa (Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia) portal. The apps help facilitate the teachers during the online teaching and learning processes as well as piquing and urging students’ interest in learning virtually. DELIMA is a single online platform that provides learning management system services as well as a variety of learning resources that can be used by educators and students. The Problem Malaysia entered the endemic phase on 1st April 2022 after two years of going through different phases of Movement Control Orders (MCO) since March 2020. Schools were closed and teachers including students had to proceed with virtual learning or Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran di Rumah (PdPR) as a way of embracing the new normal. One of the methods of teaching involves the use of the DELIMa portal on top of using live streaming via Google Meet. PdPR was considered a newly introduced approach as many teachers and students were not familiar with using online platforms to teach and learn. This created a gap for both parties, especially the teachers, who found it challenging to ensure their students were not left behind and were still able to catch up with their studies despite being in lockdowns. Students, on the other hand, found it hard to stay focused during remote learning as they must face multiple classes a day while staring at a screen for a long time. The Solution To counter the problem faced by teachers who need to be skilled in using online teaching tools, especially GWS, in a short period while tackling the interests of students, the “Google Kreatif Google” competition was initiated by Awantec & Google as a way of helping both the educators and the students. Participating teachers were tasked with uploading their most creative videos on Youtube or Google Drive on how they have used Google Workspace tools available in the DELIMa portal to teach their students creatively and in a fun way. They also needed to include hashtags such as #gurukreatifgoogle, #beawesomewithgoogleworkspace and/or #creativewithgoogle for easy reference. The Result A total of 300 videos had been submitted for review and evaluation by Awantec and MoE whereby 3 winners were selected respectfully as being the best of the best. A survey was conducted by Awantec after the competition ended to get the participants' feedback and testimonies of their experience when using GWS during PDPR. Among the comments that we received were Google Workspace helped me create class groups easily, and the information for each class can be delivered quickly via email. In addition, video recording and Google Meet meetings during PDPR with students can also be carried out easily, and PDPR activities can be carried out in a fun way because I used various gaming apps to attract the attention of my students Chian Chai Hling, SMK Abdul Rahman Talib. GWS is proven to be very easy to use and it’s awesome for teachers, either in a physical environment or during PDPR. It is so convenient to use! Muhammad Hilmi bin Madzaili, Sekolah Kebangsaan Putra Using and applying GWS in my career has helped me become organized and make my tasks easier to manage. Nadia Richard, SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabal

This second part is a continuation of last month’s article 12 Google Workspace (GWS) tips to save your time and be more productive that talks about how effective and efficient GWS is in allowing you to become more proactive at work. Let’s look at the final 12 tips and tricks so you can become a pro at using this amazing Google tool! 1) Convert text images to word document Save the hassle of typing word by word into the word document and instead just upload your text images to Google Drive app to convert it. If you have a JPEG with text or a screenshot of your notes in mobile phone, simply upload your text image to Google Drive then open it with “Google Docs”. Google Docs will automatically read your text, copy and paste it into a new document. You can go ahead and edit the document if needed and save it as pdf, text, or Microsoft word, depending on your preference. 2) Send auto-response email It can be overwhelming when you’re on a long holiday but keep getting these emails repeatedly asking you about work. Urgh! This can happen especially when people don’t know that you’re away for a few days. To solve this problem, simply set up an auto-reply through the “automated response” feature on Gmail. Go to the Gmail settings > General > Vacation Responder and set up your out-of-office response. So, the next time an unwanted email reach you during your vacation, they’ll know that you’re not available to respond immediately! 3) Get daily agenda reminders. Don’t miss another meeting or appointment with Google Calendar! Do you know that Google Calendar can send you daily reminders of your work meeting or appointment every morning? It’s so easy to set it up. Just go to Google Calendar settings > Click on your name > other notifications > daily agenda > select “Email”. Voila! Never miss anything ever again. 4) Join meetings on Google Meet via dial-in feature It’s time for that very important meeting to attend but suddenly your internet connection goes kaput! Oh no! It can be anyone’s worst nightmare, but this GWS tip will save you in no time. Every video conference via Google Meet comes with a shared link. But do you realise that there’s also a dial-in phone option to use just in case if you go offline. Details can be found on the Google Calendar invitation as well as Google Meet. Keep this option in mind the next time you have a crucial meeting to attend to as a backup plan. 5) Jamboard app for brainstorming purpose. For anyone who uses GWS, Jamboard is another app that can be extremely useful for discussing ideas and it’s available for all GWS users. Under the Google Apps menu, look for Jamboard to create a Jam and share it with your colleagues for them to include their ideas. You can also edit it from any device, and even present your jam in a Google Meet video call. Each board has virtual sticky notes, different coloured pens, photos, stickers and objects that can be used to make your presentation more fun and interesting! 6) Hide your view activity in Google Docs GWS is well known for its collaborative feature as it allows real-time collaboration, discussion and editing with peers. One of its popular features with Google Docs is the activity dashboard that lets users track viewers on documents shared. But if you don’t like people tracking your activity, simply hide our view history from anyone. How? Go to the activity dashboard in the document that is shared with you. Find the privacy settings and turn off your view history. You can also do this trick for the current document that you’re working on or for Google Sheets and Slides. 7) Snooze to read emails later When you are swamped with tonnes of emails to read and respond especially after you’re back from a long holiday, what you can do is snooze the emails that can wait until later. Simply click the clock icon at the top and “snooze” the emails that you want to read according to your set of time and date. You will then receive the emails again, as if it’s the first time, during the scheduled period. Just in case you need to refer back to the list of snoozed emails, simply head over to the Snooze section on the left-hand menu to access it. 8) Stop receiving annoying email threads. There could be times when you are CC-ed unnecessarily in an email about issues that have nothing to do with you. Worse, when the matter escalated and you keep on receiving unwanted replies. Is there anything you can do to exit quietly? Well, not really but what you can do is to mute the email threads. Go to the said email thread, find the vertical ellipsis icon and click on it. Choose the last one that says “Mute”. This action will hide the thread from your inbox and you will no longer receive new notifications about it. Of course, you can also unmute it later. 9) Organize your Gmail tabs to your liking. By default, your Gmail inbox comes with three main tabs at the top of the page known as Categories. The first tab (Primary) will include most of the important emails, “Promotion” contains all the marketing and advertising emails while the last tab, “Social” keeps your social media notifications in check. But if you don’t like this arrangement, you can always reorganize the tabs in the Settings menu. Under the inbox tab, you can remove the default setting and/or add Updates, Forums or other category to filter the additional messages. 10) Browse your past versions The document that you are going through right now might have gone through a few major changes and have different versions. Of course, the latest version is supposed to be better than the previous one but cross-checking is important to ensure consistency and transparency. So, to see the edited versions, go to File > Version history > See version history to know all the earlier versions of your document, who made the edits, what have been edited and when. You can also put a name to these different versions for easy future reference. 11) Change the owner of an event. What happens when you are supposed to host an online meeting but suddenly something comes up and you cannot continue? Worry not. Just simply change the “owner” of the event to your reliable colleague. In the Options menu, click Change owner and enter the new person; you can also send them an email notifying the change. 12) Smartly organise your contacts with labels. It easy to forget who you just met in at work as you may be working alongside different departments and meeting more than 5 new people each day. Work can be overwhelming, so does meeting these new people that you may or may not see again. To avoid losing track of who’s who and where did you know them from, use the Label system. Just like Gmail, Google Contacts allow you to create and assign labels in your individual contact entries so you can easily label people based on where you’ve met them, where do they work and how are you acquainted with them. Never forget a name again!

Data security and digital privacy are increasingly becoming popular topics among internet users as their awareness has increased the importance of keeping their personal data intact and safe. Having our data leaked to a third-party unwillingly can cause problems as we rely heavily on the usage of the internet and technology to perform our daily. Want to know how? Here are some guidelines for you to do simple changes that can bring a big difference. Secure your accounts Data breach and password leaks are quite common. It has happened to countless companies including Facebook, Target, Yahoo and the latest one, TikTok. So, if you have a TikTok account, you might want to read this through. Firstly, if you want to know which of your online account has been compromised, you can enter your email address at Have I been Pwned? to check. Secondly, recheck the strength and uniqueness of your passwords. Is it strong enough to protect your data from being compromised or is it easy for anyone to guess? You can now auto-generate and remember different, complex passwords for your account from the various tech providers such as Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari and more. These applications can also help you to monitor your accounts for security breaches, suggest changing weak passwords and sync passwords between your computer and phone. Thirdly, use a two-step authentication whenever possible. Most major social networking sites such as Facebook and Gmail, and also banks will provide this option for you where they usually require you to enter the password and a certain generated number that can only be accessed by you. Protect your web-browsing The data collected about you reveal more about yourself than you expect – phone number, geographical location, email address, educational background, workplace and many more can be easily obtained by tracking your conversation and search history. What can you do to prevent this? Add on a browser extension like uBlock Origin to block ads and the data they collect. It also helps to prevent malware viruses from running in your browser. You can also disable interest-based ads from Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter. If you are using public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, airport or hotel, install HTTPS Everywhere extension. By having this installed, it will automatically direct you to a secured version of a site which makes it difficult for an attacker to digitally eavesdrop on what you’re doing. Lastly, you may want to use a virtual private network (VPN) because it adds another layer of security to your browsing when HTTPS is not available. It can also provide some privacy from your internet service provider and help minimize tracking based on your IP address. Use reliable antivirus Having malicious software installed in your computer can give you headaches, from annoying pop-ups to scanning for personal info and holding you ransom. With a reliable antivirus, you can easily prevent this problem and protect your data as well as your device from being attacked by viruses. There are plenty of choices available, just scout and search for the one that fits your budget, is secured and is able to fight off multiple threats! Stay updated all the time! Update your software and devices frequently to ensure that your security level is top-notch. Phone, computer operating systems, web browsers, popular apps and smart-home devices will prompt you about the latest updates with new features and security improvements. If you are the type who likes to leave your browser open all the time, remember to reboot it now and again to get those updates. Your phone also has automatic-update options Think before you install Before you press OK or YES, ensure that the app you’re downloading is not from an unsecured website with potential privacy and security compromised. There are numerous mobile apps that track your location anywhere you go and harvest your data with consent, including children’s apps. Do not download any app that you are unsure off and stick to downloading programmes or browser extensions directly from the original maker or official app stores. It is also helpful if you can spend some time removing all the apps that you no longer use and audit the privacy permissions of the remaining apps that you still have. Lock down your phone! Losing your phone can be your worst nightmare as it is probably the closest device to your heart and private info. If it went missing, you need to make sure that nobody can hack into it until you are reunited with it again. To do this, use two main defences. Firstly, set up a strong passcode alongside your biometric fingerprint or face login. Secondly, set up your phone’s remote-tracking feature. If you lose your phone, you’ll be able to see where it is, and you can remotely delete everything on the phone if you can’t recover it. Enable encryption on your laptop Losing your laptop is equally another nightmare. Not only because it’s more expensive than the phone but also because it contains everything about you in it from your work to your personal life. To prevent this, simply enable encryption on your laptop. When you encrypt the storage drive on your laptop, your password and a security key protect your data. Without your password or the key, the data becomes irrelevant. Although encryption might sound complicated, it is actually simple and free to enable with built-in software. Be suspicious! Do not simply believe everything that you see and do not overshare your private info online. Make your accounts private and keep your main email address and phone number a secret. Do not publish them on any social media, including your Facebook page. To be safe, for any online shopping purpose or online activities, use a burner email that is not linked to any important personal account like your bank. Also, avoid using your real name and phone number when signing up for a service that you might not go to use for long. Don’t link together services, like Facebook, Spotify, Twitter or Instagram, unless you gain a useful feature. These precautions might seem a lot but if they can help you to sleep well at night knowing that your data is well protected, then why not?

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered the way we function daily, with notable changes to the way we work, live, and shop. As the masses get comfortable with various online shopping tips, exploitative fraudsters are using the opportunity to make a windfall through unscrupulous tactics. We have been hearing about the many online shopping scams around the country, and it’s time we put a stop to them. Read on to know how to spot these online shopping scams, and how not to fall for them. The Types Of Online Shopping Scams You Need To Know A. JOB SCAM What is it: Text messages sent to you from unknown numbers through communication apps or social media, typically via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram ad or private message. You will be asked if you are interested in working , or are being informed that you have been selected to work online to earn an extra income. The catch? You have to pay first in order to get paid. How it works in different scenarios: #1: The job offer comes with a daily reward of RM100 – RM300 for completing simple tasks. At the beginning of the job, you will receive a small amount of reward, a tactic to lure victims and shape a false sense of security that a scammer would never give their victims money. To make it promising and convincing, the “reward” will be paid to the victim in batches. You will be added to a group chat that consists of several other “job takers” (but they’re allies of the scammer). This is to drive home the legitimacy of the offer, thereby giving the impression that other people are doing this as well. #2: You will receive an SMS from a “online shopping representative” or even a “seller” claiming that they have overcharged your online shopping purchases and proceed to offer you a refund. A WhatsApp link will be provided so you can contact the scammer. Upon making contact, the scammer will insist on several “procedures” including asking for your full name, bank account number, and ID. The scammer will proceed with the refund, in which you will receive a small amount in your bank account. You will then be asked to perform a “feedback activity”. If you do this, you will receive RM150 in return. However, you need to pay for it and before you can get the RM150 as promised, the scammer would be long gone. How you can avoid it: One thing to remember is that most online shopping sites do not employ any individuals to recruit employees through messaging platforms. There is no such role as “Online Purchasing Agents” in the organisation. They will never request for advance payment or deposits as a requirement to work with them. B. BANK DETAILS SCAM What is it: Scammers send out a text—could be through any messaging platform—informing you of a confirmed transaction through an e-commerce website. Adding to it is that someone has apparently stolen your debit or credit card details. Online shopping scams like this are common and often sent out via blast. How it works: If you call the number in the message, someone pretending to be a bank officer will pick up the call. During the conversation, they will ask for your bank verification details, in hopes of accessing the funds within. How you can avoid it: Check if you have an account with the bank in question. If yes, call the bank directly through official hotlines, which can be found on their respective websites. Finally, never share your personal information (bank account number, IC, credit card number, etc.) with anyone pretending to be an officer in an online scam. C. PAYMENT SCAM What is it: There are a couple of scenarios to this payment scam, but they all aim to do one thing: Dupe you into giving up your personal details or making payments outside of the online shopping site. How it works in different scenarios: #1: Masquerading as a paid social media post using the e-commerce site logo, tempting you into giving your personal information in exchange for exclusive vouchers. #2: Impersonating as the e-commerce site, scammers use messaging platforms to trick you into thinking you’ve won a contest. To claim the prize, you have to key in your login details. #3: A purported e-commerce site employee informs you via WhatsApp to settle outstanding payments. To do so, you need to transfer all monies to a specific bank account. #4: You’re told that you’ve overpaid for an order, and are requested to return the overpaid amount immediately. #5: A supposed once-in-a-lifetime deal pops up and to get it, you’ll need to pay directly to the scammer. #6: Asking for your personal information or one-time password (OTP) to verify your purchases on the online shopping site. In reality, it’s all an elaborate process to defraud you once they gain access to your account. How you can avoid it: Only use the e-commerce site’s in-app chat feature for all correspondence with sellers. Besides, most orders placed with us are protected by the e-commerce site guarantee. D. STOLEN ACCOUNT SCAM What is it: A common online shopping scam tactic, scammers use phishing websites or ad pop-ups to extract your login credentials. More often than not, these places look like the official platform. How it works in different scenarios: #1: Scammers use your login credentials on the phishing website, and use them to access your online shopping account and steal important information such as your bank account details, address, and more. #2: You click into a pop-up assuming you had won a giveaway contest. Then, you must exchange certain particulars for the prize. There’s no prize, and now you are at risk of losing sensitive information to the scammers. How you can avoid it: All announcements pertaining to the online shopping campaigns and prizes will only be through official e-commerce site channels. Anything apart from those avenues? Best to ignore. E. PARCEL SCAM What is it: In this scam, your packages are stuck in transit. How it works in different scenarios: #1: Scammers send you an SMS containing a link with details of uncollected parcels. After clicking on the link, you will see a message telling you that the parcels have been withheld due to several reasons, which include unpaid shipping charges or taxes. You must then pay for these charges if you wish to retrieve the goods. After receiving the payment, the scammer signs off and disappears from the conversation. #2: You get a direct message from someone carrying the e-commerce site logo, congratulating you on winning a prize. A dubious link directs you to a page containing a set of questions. Regardless of the given answers, you have to pay a delivery fee for the prize through your credit or debit card. After which, your details will be harvested for unauthorised transactions. How you can avoid it: When in doubt, cross-check your orders in the online shopping system. Besides, the e-commerce site only contacts winners of any giveaways through official pages or their official app notifications. F. PRIVATE MESSAGE SCAM What is it: A social media-specific online shopping scam, scammers would reach out via direct message in hopes of tricking you to give them your personal information. How it works: The scammer promises complimentary e-commerce vouchers if you vote for them in a campaign. After voting, the scammer will claim to have sent a six-digit code to you via text. Because there’s no code, the scammer proceeds to pester you for personal details. How you can avoid it: Most e-commerce sites are generous with vouchers, but they are only available on the app and website. G. SELLER CENTER SCAM What is it: In this scam targeted towards sellers, scammers tell you that your shop contains prohibited items. How it works: Threatening you with serious consequences, the scammer pressures you to delete said prohibited items within 12 to 24 hours. Via WhatsApp, a link lets you log into your seller account. This gives the scammer full access to your real account, exposing all private and confidential information. How you can avoid it: Any correspondence between the e-commerce site and sellers only happens on official social media pages and their app. It’s unfortunate that there are individuals looking to make a quick buck through such dishonest methods, but this is the world we live in. Online shopping scams have become a lot more rampant especially now as we are spending more time online be it to shop, sell, or browse. It’s highly likely you may encounter or hear about a scam every so often.

Doing searches online everyday is a norm for most people but how do you ensure that it is safe for you? While searching, the possibilities of data and security breaches can happen at any time. Having a search engine that cares about your security and privacy is essential for safer searches. There are many things that a search engine like Google does to make sure it is the safer way to search while protecting your privacy and data. Here are the 6 key features that Google has: 1. Privacy Google protects your privacy with the world’s most advanced security infrastructures. This built-in security automatically detects and prevents online threats, so you can be confident that your private information is safe. It also keeps you safer online with continuously updated security. 2. Encryption Google’s encryption keeps data private and secure while in transit and brings a higher level of security and privacy to their services. When you send an email, share a video, visit a website or store your photos, the data that you create moves between your device, Google services and their data centres. They protect this data with multiple layers of security, including leading encryption technology such as HTTPS and Transport Layer Security. 3. Security Alerts Google gives proactive security alerts that help protect your private information. Google proactively notify you if they detect something that they think you should know about, like a suspicious login or a malicious website, file or app, and they’ll provide guidance to help you strengthen your security. For example, on Gmail, they’ll warn you before you download an attachment that could put your security at risk or if someone logs in to your account from a device not associated with you. When they detect something suspicious in your account, they’ll send a notification to your inbox or phone so that you can protect your account with one click. 4. Blocking Misleading and Malicious Ads Your online experience can be affected and your security compromised by ads that carry malware, cover the content that you are trying to see, promote fake products or otherwise violate Google’s advertising policies. They take this problem very seriously. Every year they block billions of bad ads – on average, 100 per second – through a combination of live reviewers and sophisticated software. They also give you tools to report offensive ads and control what types of ads you see. And we actively publish our insights and best practices to help make the Internet safer for all. 5. Cloud Security Google’s cloud infrastructure protects data 24/7. From custom-designed data centers to private undersea cables that transfer data between continents, they operate one of the world’s most secure and reliable cloud infrastructures. It’s continuously monitored to protect your data and keep it available. And in the event of a disruption, platform services can be automatically and instantly shifted from one facility to another so that they can continue without interruption. 6. Authentication Tools Google provides a safer sign in for all of your online accounts. Online accounts provide valuable, personalised services, but signing into them also presents today’s most prominent security risk. Every day, millions of passwords are exposed in data breaches, which can put your private information at risk. Google’s built-in authentication tools and services are designed to help you quickly and securely sign in to the apps and services you love.

Cybersecurity is generally described as the condition or practice of defending and recovering computer networks, devices, systems and applications against cyber attacks. Businesses can no longer rely simply on off-the-shelf cybersecurity solutions such as antivirus software and firewalls because cybercriminals are becoming more impervious to traditional cyber defences. Bank Negara Governor, Tan Sri Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, in a keynote during IFCTF 2022, expressed that between 2017 and July 2021, Malaysians suffered losses of about RM2.23 billion due to cybercrimes as our general public switched to mobile phones for online transactions, simultaneously provoking an increase in online banking fraud incidents involving mobile malware. Furthermore, the FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report, have reported an estimated loss of U$D18.7 billion due to cybercrimes between the years 2017 and 2021 for the American public. Within those same years, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 2,760,044 complaints, with 2021 having the highest number. It's no surprise that banks, technological businesses, hospitals, government organisations, and nearly every other industry are heavily investing in cybersecurity infrastructure to secure their business processes and the millions of consumers who entrust them with their data. Implicitly, there is an obvious influx of demand for employing experienced cybersecurity specialists. Candidates with certifications, in addition to appropriate job experience and study qualifications, will possess several career choices in the industry. Cybersecurity certifications provide several advantages to both people and businesses, as not only is it an excellent indicator of a candidate's performance, but they will also help distinguish oneself from the pack and expand one’s professional alternatives. According to a recent report by MarketsandMarkets, the global cybersecurity market size is expected to grow from an estimated value of U$D173.5 billion in 2022 to U$D266.2 billion by 2027, centred around APAC economies including China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore which are predicted to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. This can only imply more opportunities and jobs locally for the industry, and strong competition for the high-paying ones as more individuals attempt to enter the cybersecurity field. However, companies are rejecting candidates with 'paper' certifications and amateurish security skills with no experience, often failing to demonstrate necessary cybersecurity skillsets like advanced exploit code writing, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, DevSecOps, AI, cyber threat intelligence, blockchain, privacy and governance, risk management, incident handling, cloud deployments, SOC2, etc. This is exactly why Rocheston’s Certified Cybersecurity Engineer (RCCE) Certification will be absolutely essential for future cybersecurity engineers, equipping them with Linux, blockchain, cloud, Kubernetes, mobile programming, threat intelligence, big data artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, quantum computing, robotics, AR/VR, virtualisation, and other skillsets generally required by employers. The RCCE test (accredited by ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024), which has been running since 2019, has been perfected over the years to create, enhance, and streamline the resources needed for the procedures to be applied. Available in a variety of formats (separate question banks), each form has been psychometrically evaluated and has undergone thorough beta testing with a representative target audience, all while being overseen by subject matter experts and psychometric analysts to guarantee the RCCE exam is academically viable and meets test development requirements. RCCE also covers advanced futuristic technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Cyberthreat Intelligence, Incident Handling, DevSecOps, Cloud technologies, Quantum Computing, Biometrics, Deep Learning and etc., as the full test creation cycle was completed to ensure that candidates taking the certification programme are tested on real-world domains. In conclusion, Rocheston through the RCCE believes in instilling unconventional thinking and building an instinctive sense of reasoning in one’s self. The listed initiatives are intended to stimulate creativity, achieve excellence, and uphold standards. Rocheston aspires to explore new problems, ideas, and technologies via innovation by creating a new breed of thinkers, which will further push towards new cybersecurity heights in our APAC region.

Awanbiru Technology Bhd (Awantec), which is acting as a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Google Cloud as the Cloud Service Provider (CSP), are committed to fulfilling their obligations to speed up the digital transformation process for government agencies as pledged through the Cloud Framework Agreement (CFA). Starting in July 2022, Awantec has organised a CFA roadshow exclusively for government agencies in selected states to showcase their capabilities and capacity in providing the best Google Cloud solutions and services that will ease cloud computing migration for the public sector. Attendees from three different clusters - defense, infrastructure, and education representing their agencies such as the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), and Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) among those who were present during the first roadshow that was held in Google Malaysia and The Everly Hotel, Putrajaya respectively. Officiated by Awantec’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Baldesh Singh, this 3-day event covers the topics of starting a cloud journey, Google Cloud products and solutions, Awantec services, and Cloud Clinic, presented by experts from both Google Cloud and Awantec. Tackling issues such as the challenges and solutions to cloud computing, sharing success stories from real-case studies, change management, and how to render Awantec’s services under Pekeliling 2.6 were among the highlights of the event. “We are working closely with our partner, Google Cloud, to ensure that the Cloud First strategy envisioned by the Malaysian government is successfully implemented and achieved. This CFA roadshow, the first of its kind, is a demonstration of our efforts and commitment to realising the mission to support the MyDIGITAL blueprint, which aims to bridge the digital divide and grow the country’s digital economy,” said Mr. Baldesh in his opening speech. There were also quizzes and lucky draw sessions held at the Awantec booth to test the participants’ comprehension and interest. Awantec considers its first CFA roadshow a success with 71.1% of the attendees felt highly satisfied and requested other topics to be included in the future, such as Data Analytics, Google Security, Google Training, and Google Workstation tour. The CFA roadshow is set to resume in August and is expected to end in October 2022.

AwanBiru Technology Berhad (Awantec or the Group) has made substantial progress in its rationalisation plan to monetise non-core assets and reduce operating cost in FY2020 and FY2021. FTSE Russell has also ranked Awantec in the top 25% for its ESG Ratings, amongst public listed companies in FBM EMAS. Today, the Company reported its first quarter (Q1) results for financial year ended 30 June 2022 (FY2022) to Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. Revenue in total grew by over 300% from RM2.8 million in the preceding quarter ended 30 June 2021 (Q4FY2021) to RM11.8 million in current Q1FY2022. There was an increase in revenue for both the Talent and Technology segments which indicated positive traction in Awantec’s transition into the cloud space, recording good growth on its new and wider range of products and services. Revenue in the Talent segment grew from RM1.5 million in Q4 FY2021 to RM3.1 million in Q1 FY2022. While new businesses in the Technology segment, which is now underpinned by Google in place of Microsoft, expanded from RM1.3 million in Q4 FY2021 to RM8.7 million in Q1 FY2022. Key revenue drivers were Awantec’s appointment as the exclusive Managed Service Provider (MSP) to Google for the Government of Malaysia, higher uptake for online training and digital learning, the Selangor Kerjaya Project, and the Ministry of Education contract for supply of G Suite Enterprise for Education SaaS for all public schools in Malaysia. Other revenue contributors include ongoing projects such as the Competency Enhancement Programme (CEP) training programme, Adobe and Autodesk software distribution and management services. The Group recorded a lower loss before tax of RM1.4 million in Q1FY2022 demonstrating an improvement in its core operating results as compared to loss before tax of RM1.8 million in Q4FY2021 which included a one-off gain on disposal of subsidiary, following the deconsolidation of Prestariang Tech Services Sdn. Bhd. (“PTSSB”) resulting from Creditors’ voluntary winding up in Q4FY2021. The significant jump in revenue resulted in a profit before tax of RM255,000 for Q1FY2022 compared to a loss of RM1.7 million for Q4FY2021 for the technology segment. The Company’s strong cash position from the fund-raising exercises, which raised a total of RM77.7m in FY2020 and FY2021 as well as the monetisation of non-core assets supplemented by cash from operations, will continue to provide resilience to the Group’s ongoing business rebuilding plan. In addition to Google, Awantec continues to build on the strengths of its partners like SAP, Huawei, Zoom, and others to offer other Cloud-based products and services to its customers. The Company expects that these new product lines and services, which will be offered in the coming quarters, will further strengthen its pipeline and operating performance. The Company expects that while this growth trajectory may see some marginal fluctuation in the near term, it will stabilise on the back of the recurring income from renewals and continuing managed services revenue in the medium to long term, which is typical for cloud based businesses. The Company has laid all the groundwork to be a key player in tapping the vast opportunities in the national digitalisation process, which is aligned to the MyDIGITAL Initiative and Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. The Board is of the view that the Group is in a good position to capitalise on the task of meeting the market requirement for technology and talent services to spearhead Awantec’s business growth.

AwanBiru Technology Berhad ("Awantec" or the "Group") a Digital Transformer in Technology and Talent platforms, has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rezal Rahman to elevate the execution of its strategic business following a successful transformation into the multi-cloud management space. Rezal’s appointment as CEO of Awantec will be effective from 1st February 2022. A graduate of Stanford University and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and with experience working in Silicon Valley, Rezal was formerly a Director of Investments, Technology Sector at Khazanah Nasional prior to helming Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios as CEO. Rezal’s portfolio also includes being the COO for Technology Development & Corporate Ventures at Sapura Secured Technologies, being responsible for executing several multi-million ringgit projects under various Ministries in Malaysia. Taking over the CEO role from founder Dr. Abu Hasan Ismail at Awantec, Rezal is the latest addition to Awantec’s senior leadership team. This journey of building a strong professional team started in 2019 with Chief Operating Officer (Baldesh Singh), Chief Business Officer (Hafiza Anom) in 2020 and Chief Technology Officer (Farul Azim) in 2021, whom under Rezal’s leadership will drive the Group’s new strategic business following its transition into the multi-cloud services industry. “Awantec never stops at scouting for good talent. It is in both our business and our practice. We identified Rezal after scrutinizing 178 potential candidates. Rezal has a vast corporate and investment background spanning the US, Singapore and Malaysia. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in technology development and market trends.”, praised Syed Naqiz Shahabuddin, Chairman of Awantec. Under Dr. Abu’s leadership over the last 2 decades, the Group has transitioned from being one the largest ICT service provider to pioneering Technology and Talent platforms. Awantec just celebrated its 10th year listing anniversary in 2021 and was appointed the exclusive Managed Service Provider (MSP) to Google for the Government of Malaysia under the MyDIGITAL Initiative, aligned to the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. Rezal now takes on the task to execute the new strategic business in multi-cloud management and talent development services for greater market expansion. In line with the transformation road map established by the Board under the stewardship of Dr. Abu while Rezal takes over the leadership reigns at Awantec, Dr. Abu will be appointed as Founder Mentor at Awantec. He will also remains as the single largest shareholder of the Group and a non-executive board member. “As Founder Mentor in the Group, Dr. Abu will strategically advise the CEO on strategy and support the team in ensuring a smooth transition with key stakeholders ranging from customers, partners, shareholders, bankers, suppliers and many more as he contributes his strength in building alliances and partnership opportunities.”, said Syed Naqiz. Dr. Abu will be on a sabbatical as he has accepted a Senior Research Fellow role in the La Trobe Business School of La Trobe University, where he will be based in Melbourne, Australia for 24 months. “This serves as a recognition of his experience in academia and the successes which he and Awantec have achieved over the years. I am proud and happy that he has been given the opportunity to continue learning and engaging with young minds.”, added Syed Naqiz. With his unique blend of academic qualifications and strong practical experience with technology and transformation, Rezal will look into optimizing Awantec’s current business and future investment plans to effectively improve and expand its market as well as capitalize on its position and market potential for business growth. “My board and I trust that Rezal will deliver the expected growth and enhance shareholder value.”, added Syed Naqiz. “I see potential in so many possible runways in Awantec and I am truly excited to be part of the team. Though it is a tall order to fill in the shoes of Founder Mentor Dr. Abu, one thing for sure is that we are both entrepreneurs at heart and will never shy away from seeking out opportunities. Having worked in various corporate companies both locally and internationally, I appreciate the sound fundamental set up of Awantec and believe that this is key in any successful company. I have high aims and will be sharing more of our plans in due course but first let us do well in delivering Awantec’s many tasks in meeting market requirement for technology and talent services and growing the business.”, quipped Rezal.