January 24, 2015
Jeddah: Fouzia Khan
Saudis (click here) recalled the late King Abdullah’s concern for the people in
general and Saudis in particular, and his unique contribution in making
their lives peaceful and comfortable. They expressed their full faith in
his successor, King Salman.
Omar Abdullah Nasseef, dean of the
English language institute of King Abdulaziz University, said: “May
Allah forgive and bless the soul of King Abdullah. He not only won the
hearts of Saudis but Muslims all over the world. His great achievements
in the form of development of the country and for the prosperity of
Islam are unforgettable. The whole nation is with King Salman and we are
fully confident that the transformation of the Kingdom will bring more
development and progress. We hope to see a giant leap for King
Abdullah’s project of interfaith dialogue for the peace and prosperity
of the whole world....
January 24, 2015
By Riyadh Ghazanfar Ali KHan
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman (click here) appointed Mohammad bin
Salman as defense minister here Friday, in what observers have described
as an empowering message to young people in the Kingdom.
Prince
Mohammad, the son of King Salman, was a state minister, member of the
Council of Ministers, and special adviser and head of the crown prince’s
court before his new appointment.
At 35 years of age, he is now the
youngest member of the Cabinet. The prince, who holds a degree in law
from the Riyadh-based King Saud University, thanked the king for showing
confidence in him.
Prince Muhammad has been involved in charitable
causes and social initiatives supporting the youth and their career
aspirations. In 2011, he founded the Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz
Charity Foundation, popularly known as the MISK Foundation. He has held
many positions during his 10-year public career....
January 23, 2015
Jeddah Siraj Wahab
From the moment (click here) he took over in 2005 after the death of King Fahd, the hugely popular King Abdullah was a man on a mission.
The
biggest challenge for him was to get the economy back into shape and
end the isolation Saudi Arabia had faced in the international world
after 9/11. He took drastic measures and bold decisions. He united his
people by launching national dialogue.
Saudis from every corner of
the Kingdom were brought into the decision-making process. He launched
many economic cities. A multitude of international conferences and
seminars and meetings indicated a country on the move under an able
leadership.
Women regarded him as a benevolent father who cared for
them, and understood their problems. He always received them with a
smile. He knew the pulse of the Kingdom. When one day, he visited a poor
household in Riyadh the whole nation gasped. Here was their king
wanting to know the state of a fellow citizen....
As much some what to criticize and diminish the rule of the Late King Abdullah, he sought to bring his country into the times if found itself. He did that while still holding on to the deepest traditions of the people. In so much the Arab News chose to show the late king with President Obama only speaks to the fact he was an ally and friend.
What is the problem? Why isn't everyone talking about this? The FBI has absolutely no clue what to do and the ransom is Bitcoin. So, what joy, the FBI can't find the perpetrator or arrest them. How great is this.
December 8, 2014
NPR spoke with other victims (click here) who did not want to be named for fear of
losing their jobs or customers. But they described the same sequence of
events.
One small business even called 911.
Lt. Catherine Buckley with the Colorado Springs Police Department reviews the call log for NPR.
The
attack happened on Nov. 12. An officer went to the crime scene
immediately. But when he got there, employees decided he couldn't really
solve the problem. So they didn't file a police report. He left within
20 minutes.
Buckley reads from the department notes: "One of
the employees had either received an email, or clicked on a link which
opened up the malware CryptoWall 2.0."
The Tennessee company
decided not to pay. It didn't trust the hackers to give back the files,
so it relied on backups that it had. The Colorado Springs company did
pay, in the amount of $750.
And here's where it gets weirder.
While ransomware criminals used to accept prepaid cards and other familiar forms of payment, they're now moving into so-called "cryptocurrency."
Some rings only take Bitcoin, the electronic cash that's popular among
hedge fund investors and online drug traders....
It originated in Russia, then it went global.
May 14, 2014
Donald Leinwand Leger
On a bitter cold Friday in January, (click here) an ominous warning popped up on a
computer screen at the Chamber of Commerce in Bennington, Vt.
The
warning — next to a ticking countdown clock — threatened to destroy all
data on the computer if the chamber refused to pay a $400 ransom within
40 hours.
Local computer whiz Max Squires quickly identified the
culprit: CryptoLocker, computer malware that freezes access to every
file, including photos, documents and programs with a secret pass key
known only to the hacker.
Solution: None.
Hackers operating
on the Internet's "Dark Web" are spreading a new, more sophisticated
generation of the malicious software known as "ransomware," anonymously
shaking down anyone with an unprotected computer, from lawyers and cops
to small businesses. Where small groups of anonymous hackers once hit
individual consumers, the hackers have now organized into crime
syndicates that boldly launch massive attacks against entire companies,
computer experts and law enforcement authorities said....
January 13, 2014
Eric Geiger
With the nasty CryptoLocker malware (click here)
making the rounds—encrypting its victims’ files, and then refusing to
provide the unlock key unless a payment of $300 is made via Bitcoin or a
prepaid cash voucher—ransomware is back in the spotlight.
You can remove many ransomware viruses without losing your files, but
with some variants that isn’t the case. In the past I’ve discussed
general steps for removing malware and viruses,
but you need to apply some specific tips and tricks for ransomware. The
process varies and depends on the type of invader. Some procedures
involve a simple virus scan, while others require offline scans and
advanced recovery of your files. I categorize ransomware into three
varieties: scareware, lock-screen viruses, and the really nasty stuff.....
...Ransomware has gotten so powerful, Morales says, the hackers really
do lock down victims' data: "The truth is, is we have no way to recover
their data if it gets destroyed. So we can't help them."
The
very best defense, he says, is having a backup that's not connected to
your machine in any way. Storing things on the cloud or on a USB drive
that's plugged into your computer won't cut it.
January 16, 2015
By Anna Gronewold
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A group of Nebraska senators (click here) on Friday announced proposals
aimed at boosting the state's wind energy production by offering tax
incentives and reducing regulations for developers.
The announcement follows a report prepared for the Nebraska Power Review Board
that estimated the state could generate at least 2,000 more megawatts
of renewable energy under the existing transmission system. The American Wind Energy Association ranks Nebraska fourth in the nation for wind energy resources, but the state still lags in the nationwide market.
"Nebraska
has the wind resources to meet our needs, and we need to capitalize on
what's left over from that by exporting to other states," Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha said at a news conference Friday morning....
Comprehensive studies have been conducted regarding bird flight and wind turbines, there is nothing prohibiting the turbines in any state.
Through his life, he was a good friend to everyone. He will be missed.
My sincerest sympathy to his family and the nation he lead.
I also can't believe the concern of The West for his death in relation to oil and oil prices. Everyone should be ashamed. OPEC is an organization and Saudi Arabia is a member state. I apologize for the thoughtlessness of politicians and Wall Street. They think with their wallets not their hearts.
Good bye, King Abdullah, a dedicated Prince and then a dedicated King. Saudi Arabia had a magnificent King.
