GadgetByte Nepal

A group of Nepalese hacker has claimed to have breached the Nepal Telecom ADSL server and have gained access to user’s WiFi SSID and password. They claim that more than 47300 Nepal Telecom TP-LINK Routers are vulnerable to Hackers. TP-LINK is an electronics manufacturer famous for its budget-oriented ADSL and DSL routers.

Moreover, these hacker has published the list of ADSL SSID and their respective password in this link here. This is not the first time that the NTC’s server was hacked. Last month, a group called Anonymous ‪opnep gained access to all the details of NTC users that include username, citizenship name, father’s name as well as other private information which you have to fill up during new SIM registration. Metropolitan Crime Division recently tracked the hackers down and arrested 18-year-old Bikash Paudel for hacking over 200 websites including the NTC website.

The series of hacks points out to the fact on how insecure NTC’s server are. The hackers even mocked at the low security of NTC’s websites and had threatened of more such cyber attacks. If Nepal Telecom, the largest telecommunication service provider in Nepal, wants to enhance its digital advancement, it should also be prepared for the cyber battle and should be armed with security and cyber experts to avoid such breach. Please Wakeup NTC!

Facebook Messenger has a global user base of 900million. It is huge compared to any other online communication network. Messenger has been improving a lot with new helpful features being added every now and then. And the recent material design overhaul gave the app a much-needed facelift. It is clear that Facebook wants to monopolize social media and be everything that everyone ever wanted on a single platform which is not a bad thing, as a user it would be great to have everything at one place.

For convenience, Messenger has become an all in one platform for online social gathering where you can do a lot of stuffs which other service providers/apps provided as a standalone feature.

More integration is what the new update of Messenger suggests which includes Group Calling feature (VoIP) for up to 50 users which is a pretty good start to take on services like Skype and Google Hangouts. I guess nobody wants to be in a group call where there are 50 peoples but it will still be a luxury on the palm of our hands. VoIP on Messenger was introduced in 2014 and now it has taken a step further to become a multi-user communication platform.  It would be pretty convenient for conference calls, group projects and other stuffs. This feature is mainly targeted for Business group who will be utilizing this feature the most. It won’t take much time for Facebook to introduce the feature of Video Group Calling in the near future which will be a major thing for a Billion user.

The update should be rolling out within a day or two for both Android and iOS and the feature should be mentioned in the changelog. This is a very welcome feature in Messenger as it’ll be more useful and a lot of new users will be attracted to it. To use this feature all you need to do is go to your group chat, tap the Phone icon and select the users you want to call and the app will dial each of them simultaneously.

Pashupati Tradelink, the authorized distributor of Micromax phones in Nepal has launched yet another smartphone this week, Micromax Canvas Xpress Q413. Few days ago, Micromax Bolt Q327 was launched which was a budget low-end phone. It seems like Micromax is targeting the budget audience more, rather than the mid-range or high-end audience. Micromax Canvas Xpress Q413 is a decent budget phone, which has nothing new to offer in the budget category.

Micromax Canvas Xpress comes with a 5-inch screen, 2GB of RAM, 8MP Rear Camera, 2MP Front Facing Camera, 1Ghz Processor, 16GB Internal Storage and 2000mAh battery. The phone will handle your day to day usage easily, you can do multitasking, play low to mid range games and perform other basic stuff with ease. 1Ghz processor seems less, but in theory, a low-resolution screen coupled with least powerful processor gives you a very good battery life. But, that being said, this phone is not made for the power hungry users!

What’s great about this phone is that it is 4G enabled so you would be able to enjoy the uninterrupted high-speed connection. With 8MP Camera, you should be able to take good quality photos in daylight or with enough lighting but during low light and artificial lighting, its f/2.0 aperture won’t help much, and the 2MP front camera should do okay for casual selfies, but it’s not intended for users who take a lot of selfies. Design wise the phone looks pretty okay with block rectangular design with some sharp edges. Its competition on the market

Design wise, the Canvas Xpress Q413 looks pretty okay with block rectangular design and sharp edges. Priced below Rs.15,000 the phone offers competition to Colors Elite E15 and Samsung GalaxyJ2. Colors Elite E15 outshines its competition with its huge 5,000mAh battery while the J2 sports a Super AMOLED display and a fairly good camera which we don’t see on a budget phone.

Specifications:

• 5.0 inches(720 x 1280 pixels) @ 294ppi
• Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop)
• Mediatek MT6735P Chipset
• Quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
• Mali-T720MP2 GPU
• 16GB internal storage, expandable upto 32GB
• 8 MP Rear Camera with f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash
• 2MP Front Facing Camera
• Removable Li-Ion 2000 mAh battery

The internet is a medium which enables the spread of information and communication between people at a world-wide level. The internet is a ‘free’ medium, with no international laws and regulations upon it, therefore, it is extremely difficult to both monitor and prohibit transactions that occur within it. A Cyber Crime is an act of creating, distributing, altering, stealing, misusing and destroying information through the computer manipulation of cyberspace; without the use of physical force and against the will or interest of the victim.

5 Main Cyber Crime in Nepal

Social Media Related Cyber Crime

Social Media related cyber crime in Nepal includes using Porn Content in social Media or creating fake profiles to intentionally harm someone with the use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any social Media Platform.

In the year 2070, a total of 19 cases of Social Media Cybercrimes were reported. With the trending use of Social Media, the number of cases has increased to 35 in 2072. It has been seen that the number of female victims is more. Using Naked Pictures in social Media to take revenge has been the most cases according to Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB) Nepal.

A Government staff name Raju Shah was under police custody when a comment against the contemporaneous home minister Bam Dev Gautam was tracked on Facebook. Raju Shah was found guilty when he demanded death sentence against Minister Bam Dev Gautam who was caught in a photo breaking a traffic rule.

Piracy Related crime

Any Content which has been copied to make a duplicate copy is considered as Piracy. Using unauthorized trademarks and copying source code without having the License to use it is considered Piracy Crime.

Example, the font used in Company logos can also be related to piracy crime, if the font is not listed free for business purposes. Even though this related crime is not a possibility in today’s context of Nepal, but we can see a various example of Font piracy. Read a story of Font Piracy.

Also, Source Code piracy case have been heard in Nepal lately. Since the case has not been solved, the whole story is an unsolved mystery. It has been allegedly reported that a software company filed a case against a Media House for copying their source code.

Fake Profile Marketing

Creating or using a fake profile, fake website or email to create a bad image or inappropriate marketing is also considered as cybercrime. We can see various examples of fake profiles, fake websites, and spam emails. Spreading unwanted and inappropriate message using fake profile is considered a Fake Profile Marketing. This rule also implies to businesses where a fake product is sold. Marketing of fake duplicate product using the name of a different brand also comes under the Fake Marketing Cyber Crime.

Threatening Using Email

Email threat is not much common cybercrime in Nepal. If an email contains a threat or warning in mentality to harm or disturb any individual or any organisation, this is considered as a cyber crime.

Website Hacking

Website Hacking means taking control from the website owner to a person who hacks the website. Nowadays most of the government websites are attacked by hackers. Many governmental websites including the president’s website were hacked. Any complaint on website hacking can be a serious offence in terms of the cyber law in Nepal.

Recently, a group of Nepalese hacker named Anonymous opnep breached into the server of Nepal Telecom. Hackers gained access to all the details of NTC users that include username, citizenship name, father’s name as well as other private information. Metropolitan Crime Division recently tracked the hackers down and arrested 18-year-old Bikash Paudel for hacking over 200 websites including the NTC website.

Unauthorized Access

Unauthorised access is one of the common issues in cybercrime world. Getting access to a website, programme, server, service, or other system using someone else’s account or other methods is called Unauthorized Access.

Examples of the unauthorised use of computers include an employee using a company computer to send a personal e-mail or someone gaining access to a bank computer and  performing an unauthorised transfer.

Online Business of Restricted Materials

The business involving the buying and selling of illegal or restricted materials can be a case of cyber crime. One interesting case had come up when a Nepali citizen named Kirtan Pokhrel was arrested for creating an event related to sexual tourism. The Event was named Bunga Bunga which promised to have girls of ages 13 to 17.

UK-based Buzz Technologies has built a smartphone case prototype that can fit in a four-propeller drone with a camera. Known as a Drone-in-a-Phone, this plastic case features slide-out compartment where a tiny foldable quadcopter is placed.

The drone when taken out of the drawer flys in a correct position upon which the camera module of the drone captures aerial photos and videos. The drone is connected with the smartphone via a thin wire, instead of being wireless, since the drone draws its power from the smartphone’s battery and prevents it from being swept away by the wind.

The drone can fly for over 25 mins and the camera houses an 8-megapixel sensor to 12-megapixel depending upon the capabilities of the smartphone’s processor. The camera can also be swapped with different kinds of lens such as standard, wide angle, and macro. Moreover, the camera can be flipped around eliminating the need for a front facing camera.

There is a wide range of developments still to be done. Developers says that they can also insert a selfie stick that sports a vertical antenna. As developments continue, the case will also feature a battery pack that will power the drone as well as the smartphone battery. Buzz Technologies will be starting a Kickstarter funding for the drone-in-a-phone case in September of this year.