Author Archives: Ian Chen

Chile among countries in Latin America with most cyber attacks

Chile is one of the most affected countries in Latin America by cyber attacks, along with Panama and Colombia, according to a new study released Wednesday by antivirus company Kaspersky Labs.

computerChile has the most cyberattacks in Latin America. Courtesy of Alistair Hart/Flickr.

The three countries are in a “high-risk group” where nearly 40 percent of machines have been attacked while online. The study examines the first nine months of 2012 in Latin America, where 35 percent of users’ computers in the region have been attacked at least once while they surf the web.

Cybercriminals are aware that millions of people in the region are using their credit cards and bank details to shop online, and the majority of attacks aim for that financial information, according to Dmitry Bestuzhev, director of the Kaspersky Lab analysis and investigation group for Latin America.

“In this moment, Latin America is experiencing a special situation,” Bestuzhev said. “On one side, we are observing cybercrime growth which is inspired by the techniques and success of cyber criminals in Eastern Europe. On the other side, in some cases, criminals beyond the region are also attacking users in order to get their financial data.”

All other Latin American countries included in the study were classified as “medium risk” with 30-36 percent of computers having been attacked.

By Sumy Sadurni (sadurni@santiagotimes.cl)
Copyright 2012 – The Santiago Times

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/science-technology/25166-chile-among-countries-in-latin-america-with-most-cyber-attacks

News from the Santiago Times

Southern Chile gets broadband and better communication services

New fiber-optic cables will benefit 40,000 homes in Punta Arenas, the capital of Chile’s southernmost Magallanes region, according to Chilean Transport and Telecommunications Minister Pedro Errázuriz, who announced the project’s completion.

fiber-optic_cables40,000 homes now fitted with fiber-optic cables in Punta Arenas. (Photo by Brad Wilmot/flickr)

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/transportation/23872-southern-chile-gets-broadband-and-better-communication-services

News from the Santiago Times

Chilean company dethrones Spanish multinational in telecom market

For the first time in its operation, national telecommunications company Entel PCS is now Chile’s largest cell phone provider, according to a report by the government’s Undersecretary of Telecommunications (Subtel). Entel narrowly edged out Movistar Chile, a subsidiary of Spanish-owned Telefónica, which has historically been the main player in Chile and other Latin American countries.

entel_towerDowntown Santiago’s emblematic “Entel tower.” Photo courtesy of Davidlohr Bueso/Flickr.

“Changes between the first and second place in the market is an effect of better competitive activity,” Subtel Director Jorge Atton said. “There is no doubt in my mind that when this data is released, companies will react and make more offers.”

As of March, the market share for cell phones was split largely between Entel, with 38.4 percent, Movistar, with just under 38.1 percent, and Claro, with 23.3 percent. VTR, a major competitor in the cable television and fixed broadband Internet market, entered the mobile phone market in May, along with U.S.-owned Nextel.

News from the Santiago Times

Google to install first data center in Latin America in Chile

Google plans to open its first Latin American data center in Santiago’s northern Quilicura neighborhood by mid-2013, the company announced Thursday.  The Santiago center joins 11 other data centers throughout the world, six in the United States, two in Europe, and three in Asia.

googlePhoto courtesy of Google/Facebook.

“We are building this center to assure that our users in Latin America and the whole world can have the fastest and most reliable access to all Google services,” the company said in a statement.

The data center will speed up services in Chile by 80 percent once installed, according to La Tercera. Faster, closer service lowers the cost for international businesses who would otherwise look for servers in Miami or Alaska, and lower costs invite more investment, said sub-secretary of Telecommunications Jorge Atton.

Google has invested more than US$150 million into this center, which will employ 20 full-time workers and operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Most companies have data centers, facilities that house large computers, but Google’s centers power all its services like Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube.

Chile beat out other countries in the region because of its reliable infrastructure, skilled workforce and business friendly regulations, the company said.

Google also said it has allocated US$50,000 to improve technology in local Quilicura schools and provide community grants. As per company policy, the Quilicura data center will be powered by “as much renewable energy as possible.”

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/science-technology/25135-google-to-install-first-data-center-in-latin-america-in-chile

News from the Santiago Times

 

ADOC Success Stories: Providing eCommerce Skills to Entrepreneurs

My name is Jose Tapia Escobedo, and I’m a small business entrepreneur who lives in themunicipalityofPeñalolén, Santiago de Chile. My background is in metallurgical engineering, so during the last 10 years I have manufactured rubber parts and hardware. My small workshop was not doing so well, and every-day sales were decreasing while the costs of almost all materials were increasing.

I heard that the government of Peñalolén offered training programs specially designed to teach micro/small artisans and entrepreneurs computer-based entrepreneurial skills. I visited the governmental office of the municipality of Peñalolén and they referred me to the APEC Digital Opportunity Center. At their training program I learnt to use computers and the internet, to open an email account, and I even received some accounting and business management training. I also learnt about the advantages of doing e-commerce, and how to use a site called “Chilecompra”. This site enables us to offer our products withinChile and abroad through the internet. In another course, they taught me how to make business plans and helped me to apply to “Sercotec”, a governmental seed capital program that grants startup capital for promising business plans.

 

During the month of June I received a letter from Sercotec informing me that I was one of 104 people whose business plan would receive seed capital, plus free professional consultation to help re-organize my business. This was such good news for me and my family. I invested the money in two new machines to help expand my workshop’s production.

 

Many years ago, I decided to believe in this project. With its help, and some effort and perseverance, I was able to progress. Without the support I received from themunicipalityofPeñalolénand the ADOC project, the road to success would have been uncertain. I hope that the ADOC Secretariat will continue to support initiatives that benefit micro and small business entrepreneurs in our community.

ADOC first Latin America Mobile Center Open in Central Station

APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Secretariat is proud to open a new ADOC center in cooperation with Central Station Municipal on May 22nd, 2012. This ADOC Center is the first Mobile Center we have in Latin America and it aims to provide training on information and communication technology (ICT) for the community in Central Station. ADOC center seeks to empower people to take full advantage of the digital opportunities afforded by ICT and the Internet.

Chile joined the ADOC project in 2006, and since then 6 ADOC centers have been established. Thus far, around 15,000 Chileans have received training at the ADOC centers in Puente Alto, Temuco, Valparaíso and Peñalolén. These centers are the fruits of cooperative effort between Chile’s public and private sectors and the ADOC Secretariat Office in Chinese Taipei. The new ADOC center in Central Station open today aims to provide the ICT related training to the community here.

ADOC project is a self-funded multi-year Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) initiative that Chinese Taipei first raised in the 2003 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. It aims to assist in transforming digital divides into digital opportunities throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The first phase of the ADOC project was launched in August 2004 and the second phase ADOC project was proposed during the 2007 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and launched in 2009 by Chinese Taipei.

The training provided by ADOC centers includes not only ICT basic skills but also e-commerce and e-trading practices in order to empower the trainees with the ability to generate income and to improve quality of life. In collaboration with APEC PMEs, 89 ADOC centers have been established, and around 270,000 people have received training from August 2004 to December 2011.

Google Street View arrives in Chile

Technology giant Google’s virtual mapping phenomenon starts photographing Chile.

It took some time, but Google’s interactive mapping tool has started collecting images in Chile’s capital of Santiago. Google Street View’s official launch on Thursday saw five cars outfitted with company logos roaming the city’s streets, equipped with cameras to capture 360-degree panoramic photographs.

google street viewFitted with cameras, these cars and tricycles will roam streets capturing images for Google.

The Chevrolet Captiva fitted with spherical cameras atop is able to capture images in all directions. Inside is a computer, communications switch, optical fibre and a GPS which allow for the effect of a virtual tour through the city streets.

However, conscious of the competitive nature of the technological industry, Google has administered strict instructions to the drivers not to divulge further information relating to the car’s interior.

In order to capture streets inaccessible to automobiles, the venture includes a number of tricycles fitted with the same equipment.

Beginning in the center of Santiago, Google will document the outer neighborhoods before going to other major cities such as Valparaíso and Concepción.

“Obviously it’s not going to cover 100 percent, but it will begin with three cities and is growing. The idea is to cover as much of the country as possible,” Google Chile Manager Eduardo Pooley told press at the launch on Thursday.

Chile is Google’s 31st country in the world to be photographed for Street View and the second in Latin America behind Brazil.

It will be months or perhaps over a year before the images appear on the web. Though the project will be completed well before then, the images must undergo a thorough analysis and filtering process.

Since the inception of Street View in 2007, Google has encountered a number of civil lawsuits and paid damages to numerous people on the account of invasions of privacy. It has been an ongoing issue facing the company in countries all over the world.

At first, Google displayed images on the Internet without blurring faces of people and car registration plates. The company acknowledged the disregard of privacy and issued a public apology. When Google began collecting images in Italy, they were met with demands for the cars to be easily recognizable to allow citizens the option of not being photographed.

Google was fined 100,000 euros, equivalent to about US$141,300 at the time, for unjust data collection between 2007 and 2010 in France via wireless networks under the guise of the Street View mapping service.

In order to prevent similar legal and moral problems in the future, Google strictly publishes only images where people faces and registration plates are blurred. In addition to this, users can request that their faces be blurred further, if they deem it necessary.

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/science-technology/23235-google-street-view-arrives-in-chile

News from the santiago times