Internet users by country

Vietnam has earned the dubious distinction of using unlicensed software at a higher rate than other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Results of a biennial survey conducted by BSA, The Software Alliance, show that while Vietnam’s rate of unauthorized software installation dropped 4 percentage points from 2015 to 74 percent in 2017, it remained high on the offenders list. The BSA bills itself as the “leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace.” The index took into account the volume and value of unlicensed software installed on personal computers in 110 economies. Japan and New Zealand were the shining stars in the Asia-Pacific region with the lowest rates of software copyright infringements at 16 percent, followed by Australia (18 percent), Singapore (23 percent) and South Korea (27 percent). Alongside Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines are among the four Southeast Asian countries with … [Read more...] about Vietnam an avid user of unlicensed software: report

Vietnam’s millions of internet users can breathe a sigh of relief, with repair work on the Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable completed three days earlier than expected early on Sunday. The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) had said earlier the work would continue until June 5. It said that internet connection in the country has resumed full service, meaning web surfers were no longer facing sluggish speed on international websites. The cable, notorious for frequent breakdowns, encountered a technical problem on May 22, and repair work began three days later. It was the second signal loss on the AAG cable so far this year, following a reset last January. Connected in November 2009, the $560-million AAG handles more than 60 percent of the country’s international internet traffic. The system runs more than 20,000 kilometers (12,420 miles), connecting Southeast Asia and the U.S., passing through Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand … [Read more...] about Vietnam returns to normal internet speed after week-long overhaul

Internet connections in Vietnam are expected to run at snail’s space in the coming week as a major undersea cable will go under repair. A local internet service provider said the Asia America Gateway (AAG) is being fixed and work will reach the part connected to Vietnam' southern beach town Vung Tau on Sunday. It is scheduled to finish on June 5. The incident would affect all service providers in Vietnam, meaning that internet users will have to face the sluggish speed on international websites. Several internet service providers are ready to reroute and transfer signals to other cables to minimize the impacts on users. This is the second time the AAG encountered a technical problem this year, following a reset last January, and at least five similar incidents in 2017. Connected in November 2009, the $560-million AAG handles more than 60 percent of the country’s international internet traffic. The system runs more than 20,000 kilometers (12,420 miles), connecting Southeast … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s internet to crawl as repair work starts on infamous cable

A new dangerous ransomware is threatening internet users in Vietnam, a cybersecurity organization said on Thursday. Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) has warned businesses and government entities of an online epidemic spread by malicious software GandCrab, which encrypts infected computers’ data before forcing users to pay $400 - $1,000 to retrieve them. GandCrab is also affecting several other countries and has been highlighted by VNCERT as “extremely dangerous,” without specifying the degree of damage it has caused so far in Vietnam. VNCERT advised users not to click on any suspicious links as well as attachments in emails with unusual contents. The organization also warned businesses to be on constant watch, update their firewalls and isolate servers infected with GandCrab. GandCrab masquerades as online advertisements or crafted email messages before infecting a computer system. Upon its infection, the ransomware will encrypt all files and produce … [Read more...] about Vietnam warns internet users of ‘extremely dangerous’ ransomware