Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report Volume 22, which was released this week, also found Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam among the top five most exposed countries in Asia-Pacific. 

Myanmar had 23.8-per-cent exposure to malware over the survey period of January-March, while Thailand ranked seventh.

About one in four computers in Myanmar running Microsoft real-time security products reported a malware encounter in three months. 

Myanmar’s average malware encounter rate during the first quarter of this year was more than double the global average of 9 per cent. 

On the other hand, countries in Asia-Pacific with higher levels of IT maturity, namely New Zealand and Singapore, performed better than the worldwide average.

Thit Htut, a freelance technician who provides technical services to companies in Myanmar, said businesses must take digital security into serious consideration due to the rising number of mobile phone users and Internet service providers in the nation. 

He also considers the widespread use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter as a tool of strategic marketing. 

However, the misuse of social networks for spreading hate speeches, rumours, defamation and virus links is a major concern.

“We frequently see a number of virus links every day. Likewise, hackers often try to attack websites of companies and government ministries, especially during conflicts like the ethnic one in Rakhine state. 

“So, companies should regularly update their software systems and individuals should not use simple passwords and should not work in public wifi hotspots,” he said. 

Rena Chai, marketing and operations lead at Microsoft Asia-Pacific, strongly encouraged all private and public Myanmar organisations to consider their online security.

“Myanmar continues to take huge steps forward in becoming a digital nation. 

Office 365

“We’ve seen enormous interest around Office365 in Myanmar and security is one important reason for organisations to make the digital transformation,” she said.

“We have a team on the ground prepared to support them in protecting their online assets and data as they become digital,” she said.

Microsoft’s biannual report provides in-depth data and insights into the global threat landscape, particularly in software vulnerabilities, exploits, malware and web-based attacks. 

The report tracked endpoint as well as cloud threat data and profiled more than 100 individual markets. 

It also shared best practices and solutions to help organisations better protect, detect and respond to threats. 

Myanmar is turning to cloud technology more than ever, as big organisations like KBZ Bank and Awba embrace digital transformation. 

Microsoft Office365 was launched in Myanmar in January to provide data and cloud |security. 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30325535