Tougher penalties for online criminals suggested

17:07' 06/05/2008 (GMT+7)
In the first half of 2007, IT experts recorded 124 new viruses and nearly 432,000 computers infected with spyware and more than 2.8 others attacked by viruses through USB and Yahoo Messenger.
VietNamNet Bridge – Online criminals are developing broadly while the laws on this field are insufficient. Violators who cause serious consequences are imprisoned for 2-7 years only and fines are no more than VND100 million ($6,200).
Online criminals in Vietnam are on the rise in number and getting more serious. In the first half of 2007, IT experts recorded 124 new viruses and nearly 432,000 computers infected with spyware and more than 2.8 others attacked by viruses through USB and Yahoo Messenger. The websites of many companies were attacked.
The most serious case was the one discovered in early January 2008, in which some hi-tech criminals were arrested for stealing passwords of international credit cards. The latest attack on website chodientu.com forced this e-commerce site to idle for a long time, causing heavy losses for the firm.
However, experts said that the skills of Vietnamese online criminals are not high. Most local hackers are very young and they don’t think about the consequences of their actions. They often use “primitive” techniques so they are discovered easily.
Nguyen Quang Huy, who is being charged with attacking chodientu.com, and is considered the top hacker in Vietnam, also committed fundamental mistakes when he used his home PC and didn’t delete log file when he seized control of the attacked server
However, Vietnamese online criminals are getting more professional; most crimes now take place in the online environment, not on the PCs of victims. Hackers tend to use more spyware and worms and attack small businesses, which have poor network security.
Losses of US$5.625 million per year
Losses for computer users caused by viruses are estimated at around VND496,000/person/year. If each computer needs $2 to deal with a virus, with 2.8 million infected PCs last year, the total losses were $5.6 million.
One of the reasons that facilitate the development of online criminals is a shortage of laws to combat this kind of criminal. Online criminals are developing broadly while the laws on this field are insufficient. Violators who cause serious consequences are imprisoned for 2-7 years only and fines are no more than VND100 million ($6,200). These penalties are very gentle and do not match the losses caused by online criminals.

Oracle opens Hanoi Academy for IT training

17:23' 06/05/2008 (GMT+7)
Oracle, a leading U.S. provider of enterprise software applications, today launched the Oracle Academy of the Hanoi University and Hanoi University of Commerce.
Representatives of the universities and Oracle signed the Oracle Academy Cooperation Program agreement, which will provide the universities’ students with real-world learning experiences to prepare them to fill key technical jobs in the global knowledge economy, such as software developers, database administrators, project managers, business analysts and managers and systems designers.
The program also provides faculties with professional development resources and opportunities to collaborate with peers and share best teaching practices.
U.S Ambassador to Viet Nam Michael W. Michalak participated in the launch of the new Oracle Academy. He congratulated the participating institutions for addressing the critical developmental need of improving information technology education and skills in the nation. He also noted the leadership that the Vietnamese Government has demonstrated in this area, according to a press release from the U.S. Embassy.
Earlier this year, the Ambassador launched a U.S. Embassy Education Initiative to enhance educational cooperation between the two countries. Major goals of the Education Initiative include helping to increase competence and skill in the field of information technology and introducing more American curricula in Viet Nam.
Launched in 1997 as one of the most comprehensive academic offerings in the information technology industry, the Oracle Academy has partnered with more than 3,400 institutions and supported 397,000 students across 83 countries

IDG Ventures Vietnam, IT Farm move into semiconductor

17:22' 06/05/2008 (GMT+7)
The venture capital funds IDG Ventures Vietnam (IDGVV) and Japan's IT Farm Corp. have announced their investment in Global Equipment Services Joint-Stock Co. (GES) to assist in semiconductor plans in HCMC's Saigon Hi-tech Park.
GES's chief executive officer Don Tran said the funds would help provide full production services to customers of the joint venture between U.S. and Vietnamese partners, which specializes in semiconductors, fluoropolymers, and solar energy equipments.
"The finance and experience of the funds will facilitate GES's investment in equipment used for semiconductor production in Vietnam and expand the customer system globally," Tran said.
The funds did not disclose their investment in GES. However, IDGVV's General Director Nguyen Bao Hoang said the investment in GES was the leading project in the list of 25 projects invested by IDGVV.
Hoang stressed that the investment in GES marked a milestone of IDGVV's expansion into semiconductor production.
IT Farm Corp. is a Japanese venture capital fund that supports the establishment and development of young global enterprises in information technology, especially private firms in their early stages of development.
Morio Kurosaki, President and CEO of IT Farm Corp., said semiconductor and solar energy were among the prioritized technology fields that need continuous investment for developing services, and enhancing competitiveness.
"We target such a market segment, so we are willing to back GES's ambitious plans," Kurosaki said.
So far, GES has mobilized funds to build a production and technology center covering more than 30,000 square meters in HCMC's Saigon Hi-tech Park in District 9 to support its global business plans.
Founded in June 2006, GES follows a complete process of production, design, and operation of semiconductor production, Fluoropolymers Division, and solar energy equipments. The U.S.-headquartered company has branched out to Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Post-harvest rice technologies top talks

13:50' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7)

A seminar was held in HCM City last week to discuss the outcomes of an Australian–assisted programme in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta to improve the quality of rice by using modern post-harvest technologies. The programme titled CARD/VIEO5, which began in April 2006 and will go on until March 2009, is aimed at adding value to rice harvests by training farmers, milling factory owners, service providers and agricultural extension workers. Nearly 100 scientists, agricultural students and agricultural workers and farmers attended the seminar organised by HCM City’s Nong Lam University (Agriculture - Forestry University) and Australia’s University of Queensland, which are also running the programme. The programme has made a survey of post-harvest losses and use of post-harvest technologies in the Mekong Delta. It organises seminars and demonstrations in select communes to educate farmers in efficient post-harvest and processing technologies. Mill owners also attended the workshops to learn how to effectively install and use grain-drying machines. Agricultural extension workers are trained in the latest post-harvest technologies, particularly for drying, so that they can assist farmers.Delegates at the seminar heard Nong Lam University lecturers speak about advanced post-harvest technologies and machines, and agricultural extension workers’ presentations on local farmers’ use of technology and equipment. They also discussed the developing trends in post-harvest technologies in the delta and local provinces’ plans to mechanise post-harvest activities.

Software piracy is a tough nut to crack

23:31' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7)

- According to a new report, Vietnam's software piracy rate in 2007 registered in at 88 per cent, down from 92 per cent in 2004. However, despite its slight improvement the figure is still far too high. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) presented the new figures during a recent conference in Danang, and warned that the country's high level of software piracy was negatively impacting the economy. According to a report by IDC-EXPAND released earlier this year, the IT sector's contribution to the economy would grow if the software piracy rate were to fall 10 percentage points over the next four years, a move that would create an additional 1,900 jobs, garner $623 million in local industry revenues and an additional $31 million in tax revenues. Some experts argue that the slight reduction in software piracy over the last few years was mainly the result of government and business efforts to buy copyrighted software, particularly from Microsoft. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Information and Communication, Vietnam Post and Telecommunications, FPT, Vietcombank and most recently Vietinbank each bought thousands of dollars worth of Microsoft software, however, legal copies of the same software are often too expensive for smaller companies. An IT manager of a multi-media company, admitted that his firm used pirated software in about 40 personal computers. The programmes included Windows XP, Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, among others. "It would cost us tens of thousands of dollars to buy legitimate software. We can't afford it because our annual revenue is only around half a million dollars," he said. The use of pirated software is so widespread that even Bui Quang Ngoc, vice president of FPT, Microsoft's leading partner in Vietnam, admitted during a recent press conference that the "buying" of legitimate software in most cases involved only a "legalising" process, since the software had already been installed on the buyer's computers. Due to the high cost of commercial software, a number of organisations and individuals have opted to use free open source software instead. After a number of studies, local authorities in Phu Tho, Hai Phong and Ha Tinh decided to build new electronic information portals using open source software. In addition, organisations such as the Communist Party, the Ministry of Education and Training and Sacombank are instructing their agents all over the country to deploy open source software, including the Linux operating system and the OpenOffice software suite. On the downside however, many businesses have cited usability as a challenge. Though initially free, open source software adopters have to pay other indirect costs incurred when users switch from familiar propriety software to a new software environment, or when compatibility issues arise. Furthermore, open source software requires greater human resources to deploy and maintain.