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The Malta Independent | Thursday 9 October 2014
Information Security Expo – an event for everyone Saturday 11th October at SmartCity Malta MITA is organising the first Information Security Expo with the aim of raising awareness about information security topics that affect us all in our professional and private lives. This was announced earlier this week by Hon Dr José Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The MITA Information Security Expo will be held this Saturday 11th October at SmartCity Malta and will be spread over three areas. The general public will be able to visit the expo at any time from 2:00pm onwards but the main activities will start at 4:30pm. Area 1: Security Talks - brief talks and workshops by information security experts on various related topics. An exclusive workshop by David Kennedy – founder of the internationally acclaimed information security company TrustedSec, LLC – will kick-off proceedings. Area 2: Hackathon - the Security Hackathon (Capture the Flag) targets ICT professionals, enthusiasts and students. Participants can take on the challenge
individually or in groups of maximum 3 people. Area 3: Awareness - multiple companies and entities will be raising awareness about various information security topics. As part of the EU-wide Code Week, eSkills Malta Foundation will be holding various hands-on coding workshops for everyone. MITA’s executive chairman, Mr. Tony Sultana, explained how the increase in the profile of ICT makes it more of a prized target for the underworld. “Over the
last years MITA has been actively working with industry not only to better protect the Maltese Government ICT systems but also to promote ICT security on our island.” He mentioned that since MITA was accredited with the ISO27001 security standard, the Agency has been providing local institutions and companies with related information and guidance. For the Security Hackathon, MITA partnered with TrustedSec, LLC and its founder, Mr.
David Kennedy, said that the hackathon should attract ICT professionals and students from different sectors as the ultimate goal is learning and exchanging knowledge and experiences. Participants attending the security hackathon will have four hours to find a number of ‘flags/vulnerabilities/strategic points’ in a specially setup environment by TrustedSec. Mr. David Kennedy will be also delivering a one hour practical session on Social Engineering. Proceeds from the Secu-
rity Hackathon will go towards the MITA CSR Committee. Hon Herrera said that it is necessary that as a nation we continue enhancing our digital asset portfolio - that we continue rolling out new eGovernment services, that we continue making the interaction between citizens, businesses and Government easier through electronic forms (eForms). “In such a context, MITA’s role becomes vital in ensuring that all the interaction with Government is taking place on a secure environment. Rolling out new services is good but getting people to trust in using such services is even more important. We must therefore continuously invest in the information security systems in place and also in the skills of Malta’s human capital,” explained Hon Herrera. The Information Security Expo is sponsored by 6PM plc, eSkills Malta Foundation, Institute of Computer Education (ICE), LogicPass, Mediterranean Insurance Brokers (MIB) and TrustedSec. For full event schedule and to register: www.mita.gov.mt/securityexpo
Study: social login usage surges while consumers demand transparency about data handling 77% of consumers have logged into websites and mobile apps using social login, a 45% increase in the last two years. This was found in a new study by Gigya - a consumer management suite. The study examines how consumers perceive and respond to privacy, personalisation and social login. The study indicates that the adoption of social login continues to surge as consumers place a premium on convenience and ease-ofuse, with more than half of respondents saying they use social login because they don’t want to spend time filling in registration forms in order to register on a site. Yet despite demand for instant gratification, consumers are still concerned about privacy and want to trust the brand or technology they are interacting and sharing information with. Key findings from the study include: • 77% of consumers have logged into websites and mobile apps using social login, a 45% increase from a 2012 survey • Of those who have used social login, 66% of respondents report using it either “whenever it is an option” or “often,” nearly doubling the percentage from 2012 (35%) • Of those that use social login: • 53% do so because they don’t want to spend time filling in registration forms • 47% do so because they don’t want to create or remember another user name or password • More than half of consumers report feeling more comfortable using social logins that have a clear indication of what data will
• Data Protection: Do not sell the social profile data of users or their friends to third parties • Friend Protection: Do not send private messages to a user’s friend(s) unless prompted by the user • Social Publishing: Do not publicly post to a user’s social network account on behalf of a user without the user’s explicit permission • Email Opt-In: Do not use personal information obtained via social login to send newsletters or promotional emails unless users have opted-in to such notibe collected and how it will be used, as opposed to when they don’t receive those assurances • 84% of consumers have abandoned filling out an online registration form because they were unhappy with the amount of information being asked of them • 60% have abandoned a purchase because it required filing out a registration form • 43% of consumers have ignored future communications from a company after being sent irrelevant information or products The new report, based on data collected by OnePoll in July 2014, features perspectives from 2,000 U.S. male and female adults ages 18 to 55. The results concluded that while consumers are increasingly moving away from lengthy registration forms, they still want to ensure that their information is protected. The study found that 47% of consumers are concerned about organizations selling their data,
reaffirming the need for brands to build trust with consumers. In fact, 86% of consumers are wary of data brokers and think they should be more heavily regulated by the government. “It’s clear that consumers today have reached a threshold where convenience is king. Our study shows that social login use is becoming essentially ubiquitous and is becoming a standard for consumers when interacting with brands on web and mobile,” said Patrick Salyer, CEO of Gigya, which will process more than one billion logins in 2014. “Yet the need for transparency into how information is being collected and used has not diminished. Consumers are willing to share information if they know what it is being used for and how it will benefit them.” Gigya highlights the following criteria for brands looking to leverage social login to provide better user experiences and personalize marketing while also meeting privacy concerns:
fications Social login “is becoming increasingly popular with buyers as they become more comfortable providing brands with access to their social profile data,” wrote Kim Celestre, senior analyst at Forrester Research in a May 2014 report on social login. With 29% of social marketers planning to implement social login on their websites in the next 12 months, “the future of social marketing lies in its power to enrich marketers’ understanding of their customers - both in a social context and outside of it.”
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The Malta Independent | Thursday 9 October 2014
Roderick Spiteri
Roderick Spiteri is Marketing and Communications Manager at MITA and editor of Malta Independent ICT feature
The Malta Independent ICT Feature
I
nformation security is a trendy topic not only for ICT professionals and enthusiasts but also for all of us who use our computers for work and leisure. We’ve all heard about cyber attacks, spamming, phishing and other fraudulent online activities. This Saturday, MITA is organising the first Information Security Expo at SmartCity Malta. The event
starts at 2:00pm and goes on till around 8:30pm. It is open for the general public who’s invited to check the final timetable of informative talks and hands-on workshops on www.mita.gov.mt/securityexpo The majority of users are increasingly using social login to sign-up on websites or mobile devices apps. This means that when users would like to signup
to a new online service or app they prefer to log-in via their Facebook or Twitter accounts rather than filling up the usual application form and insert their email address. This phenomenon is giving rise to new privacy issues – what happens to the data that is collected by these sites and apps? A new study shows that airline passengers are ready for the next
phase of technology – wearable technology to help them on their journey. The same study also shows that practically everyone (97%) carries a smartphone, tablet or laptop when they fly and 20% take all three. All ICT Features are available on www.mita.gov.mt/ictfeature
Technology improves the passenger experience Passengers have no problem with airline or airport staff using wearable technology, such as smartwatches and glass. This was revealed in the SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Survey, which reported that nearly 77% of the 6,277 passengers surveyed would be comfortable with the use of wearable tech to help them on their journey. The annual global survey, which sampled passengers travelling through the world’s top 30 airports, highlights the growing importance of the tech-savvy passenger. Among the passengers interviewed, almost every passenger (97%) carries a smartphone, tablet or laptop when they fly, and one in five travels with all three. Passengers want to be able to use technology at every point of the journey, and many already do. In total, 76% are using airline apps, and 43% say this has made a definite improvement to their travel. More than half (53%) want personalised alerts about any delays sent directly to their phones, and 57% want airport maps and directions. Half would like to use their smartphone for boarding. Francesco Violante, Chief Executive Officer, SITA, said: “Travel is better with technology. And tech-savvy passengers expect
more personalised apps and services consistently delivered on the web, to their phone or tablet. As new technologies such as wearable tech, NFC and iBeacons become commonplace, they present a great opportunity for airlines and airports to engage directly with their passengers to provide efficient services throughout the journey.” With almost all passengers surveyed carrying a mobile device or computer, the demand for services in-flight is also changing. An increasing number of passengers (56%) want connectivity so that they can use their smartphone, tablet or laptop for inflight entertainment. 54% want to be able to send and receive emails and text messages and make and receive phone calls in-flight. And 45% would use their connected device to purchase food and
drinks or browse a virtual dutyfree shop. Where once passengers were unwilling to share personal or location information with service providers, 72% are now willing to do so in order to get more personalised services. There is still a reluctance to share information to receive commercial offers, with less than a third of passengers interested in this. But when it comes to improving their journey, for example to reduce queues at the airport, some 40% said they were willing to share their location information. The 9th annual SITA-ATW Passenger Survey was conducted across 15 countries worldwide with nearly 6,300 participants. The 15 countries involved in the survey represent 76% of total global passenger traffic.