Microsoft will stop providing security updates for the Windows XP operating system (OS), placing 17 per cent of all personal computers in the UAE at higher risk of malware infections. The company hoping that users will upgrade their OS to either the Windows Vista or Windows 8 platform, and will stop providing support options and updates for XP from next April.
Anti-virus software will be ineffective for Windows XP, according to Tim Rains, the director of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing group.
The UAE’s malicious software (malware) infection rate is double the world average at 21 per cent. Pakistan has the highest rate of malware threats in the world, while countries such as Finland and Japan have much lower rates. Japan’s malware infection rate is just 1.4 per cent, according to Trustworthy Computing.
While many might attribute the variance in security threats to culture and language, Mr Rains said that was not the case.
"There are 80 different socio-economic factors that are correlated with threats – from broadband penetration, Facebook usage to demographic instability and regime instability," he said.
Malware infection rates increased in Egypt during the Arab Spring uprisings and decreased once the interim government announced plans for an election, Mr Rains said.
“In some countries they want identity theft. Attackers do a lot of bank fraud for this, they’re trying to steal people’s identity so they can walk into a bank and steal their money,” he said. “In Egypt, they’re not looking to hijack identity, but to hijack computers for attacks for which they can never get caught.”
Just 60 per cent of computers in the region are protected with antivirus software, lower than the global average of 80 per cent.
Meanwhile, computer attacks are growing more sophisticated. In Europe, cybercriminals are targeting individuals by hacking their computers and taking control in return for a ransom. Such attacks are likely to reach the Arabian Gulf region, according to Mr Rains.
“We don’t see that as a trend here right now, but usually when something is successful in one part of the world, we see it in another part of the world,” he said.
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai