Spread of Locky Virus in Mantralaya PCs Contained, Data Safe: Official

The state's Information Technology department has managed to contain the spread of Locky virus, a file-encrypting ransomware, in computer systems at Mantralaya and all the data are safe, a senior official claimed.

The virus had affected about 150 computers, mostly in Revenue, Public Works Department and some isolated computers in other departments of Mantralaya and these computers have now been isolated and being sent for forensic tests, Principal Secretary, IT department, V K Gautam, said.

All the data on the Maharashtra Local Area Network (Maha LAN) are safe, he said.

"The virus first showed its presence around Friday last week, which probably sneaked into the Maha LAN through a spam mail," Gautam said.

After gaining entry into the system, the virus begins encrypting the DOC, PPT or other files into Locky files, the official said.

"When one tries to access these encrypted files, the system asks the user for lock key and then asks to pay for it in Bitcoins for granting access to the files," he said.

He added that the virus is actually very dangerous for the world of finance and corporates, wherein data related to financial accounts and other sensitive information gets locked and the user is asked to pay for the access to own data.

"The virus begins to send spam mails using the official e-mail ID deceiving the user in opening it or its mail attachments allowing the virus to enter the system," he said.

Users need to guard against accessing spam mails of such nature by clicking on to the senders' e-mail address to know the real sender and better still use only the official government e-mail Intra-net rather than private e-mails like Gmail, Yahoo and others, Gautam added.

"There are around 53,000 computers in various government departments in Mantralaya that are on the Maha LAN," he said, adding that following the incident, the IT department has fortified its server and data center and that no damage has been caused to the government files.

Both the Centre and the state government have a policy that mandates all its employees to use the official government intra-net rather than private e-mail, he said.

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Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com

Google's own interpretation of Amazon's Echo is coming soon

All of a sudden, it's as if everyone is working on voice-controlled personal assistants, and reports suggest that Google's version of something similar to Amazon's Echo could land as soon as the Google I/O event next week -- which would make sense. According to sources at Recode, it's currently being developed under the codename, Chirp.

Interestingly, Nest (now a part of the same company) shied away from the idea of an Echo like device, citing privacy concerns about talking to Google, its search engine, algorithms and other internet magicks. Recode's sources suggest voice search and intelligent responses from your Google devices will be the centerpiece of Google's showcase, alongside virtual reality developments. Okay, Google. Show us what you've got.

Source : http://www.engadget.com/

UPDATE 1-Uganda blocks social media, clamps down as president sworn in

May 12 Ugandan authorities blocked social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp on Thursday as President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in after a disputed re-election that led to a crackdown on dissent.

Museveni, 71, who took the oath of office at an event in Kampala, officially won 60 percent of the vote in the February ballot, extending his 30-year rule by another five years.

The opposition said the vote was rigged and protests broke out, leading to clashes with police and dozens of arrests.

Ugandan officials said it was free and fair, and dismiss accusations that they have clamped down on free speech.

On Wednesday, police arrested opposition leader Kizza Besigye after a street protest. Besigye, who heads the Forum for Democratic Change party, won 35 percent of the vote. He has been under house arrest on and off since then.

Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive director of Uganda's telecommunications regulator, said security agencies had asked access to social media websites to be blocked "to limit the possibility of terrorists taking advantage" of visits by dignitaries.

Uganda is hosting several heads of state for the ceremony.

Residents said the sites had been inaccessible since late Wednesday.

The authorities also blocked social media during voting and shortly afterwards, a move criticised at the time by the United States and rights groups, who said it undermined the integrity of the process.

EU monitors said the election was held in an intimidating atmosphere and the electoral body lacked independence and transparency.

The government has also banned live television or radio coverage of protests.

One mobile operator, South Africa's MTN Group, told customers in a message that social media had been temporarily blocked at the request of the authorities.

In the days leading up to Museveni's swearing-in, authorities also placed more security patrols on the streets of Kampala and residents said there was a strong presence of military and police on Thursday.

Opposition to the president is strongest among youths in urban areas, where frustration has been fuelled by unemployment, corruption and crumbling public services.

Since coming to power in 1986, Museveni has been credited with restoring order after years of chaotic rule.

The economy has been growing, but experts say it has failed to keep pace with the rising population, and critics also complain about Museveni's failure to stem corruption and a clampdown on opposition voices. (Additional reporting by Elias Biryabarema in Nairobi; Editing by Edmund Blair and John Stonestreet)

Source: http://in.reuters.com