HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The engineering team of Viettel Cyber Security (VCS) has excellently won the championship for the second consecutive time at the Pwn2Own competition—the most prestigious security arena in the world. By successfully exploiting 9 security vulnerabilities in devices from major brands such as Canon, HP, Lorex, Synology, Sonos, QNAP, Lexmark, and TrueNAS, the VCS team from Vietnam outperformed competitors from Europe, Canada, and the United States to assert its position.
According to a report from the Zero Day Initiative on October 25, the VCS team scored 33 points after four days of competition, nearly double that of the second-place team, Team Cluck from the U.S., which had 17.25 points.
Security Targets Successfully Exploited by VCS at Pwn2Own
Pwn2Own is an annual network attack competition held since 2007, likened to the World Cup of the security community. This year's event featured eight categories for engineers to find and exploit security vulnerabilities, including Mobile Phones, Messaging Apps, SOHO Smashup (Small Office and Home Networking Systems), Surveillance Systems, Smart Home Devices, Printers, Smart Speakers, and NAS Storage Devices.
At Pwn2Own 2024, VCS experts successfully exploited 9 targets, including Lorex and Synology surveillance cameras; Sonos smart speakers; HP, Lexmark, and Canon printers; QNAP and TrueNAS Mini X network storage devices; as well as the SOHO Smashup networking systems category.
With this impressive result, VCS won a prize worth $205,000. Through the competition, VCS not only confirmed its superior security capabilities but also made significant contributions to discovering and enhancing the security of smart devices, especially as major manufacturers face increasingly complex and sophisticated threats in the digital age.
Developing Security Skills on AI-Integrated Systems
According to Mr. Ngo Anh Huy, head of the VCS team at Pwn2Own 2024, this year's competition posed significant challenges as devices were upgraded with more complex security measures, many integrated with AI to combat attacks. Exploiting AI-integrated devices requires the VCS team to have deep knowledge of AI in addition to traditional security skills.
"With the rapid development of AI, successfully exploiting these devices not only helps the team expand its security capabilities but also prepares them to respond to increasingly complex risks in the future. Success at Pwn2Own once again proves that Vietnamese experts are on par with their peers worldwide," Mr. Huy shared.
This year's event saw over 70 zero-day vulnerabilities discovered and exploited, with total prizes reaching $1,066,625. The success of VCS at Pwn2Own is not only a source of pride for Viettel Cyber Security but also enhances the status of Vietnam's cybersecurity industry on the international stage, opening up new opportunities and challenges in global cybersecurity.
About Pwn2Own
Pwn2Own is one of the most renowned and prestigious security competitions in the world, held annually by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) since 2007. Known as the "World Cup" of cybersecurity, Pwn2Own attracts top security research teams from around the globe to test their abilities to exploit vulnerabilities in various devices and software, from printers and smart speakers to surveillance systems. Major technology companies such as Meta, Apple, and Pixel also eagerly bring their products to challenge the competing teams.
At Pwn2Own, competing teams must seek and exploit vulnerabilities within three months before showcasing their products at the event, aiming for high scores and cash prizes. The competition not only fosters creativity and collaboration within the cybersecurity community but also raises awareness of potential security vulnerabilities in modern technology, thereby helping manufacturers improve their product protection capabilities.
About Viettel Cyber Security
Viettel Cyber Security (VCS), hailing from Vietnam, was recognized as the best cybersecurity company in Asia according to the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2022-2023. VCS offers a wide range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of clients, including:
With expertise and cutting-edge technologies, VCS ensures robust protection and peace of mind for organizations navigating the complexities of cybersecurity.
Website: https://viettelcybersecurity.com/
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Viettel Cyber Security (VCS) Wins the Global Cyber Security Competition Pwn2Own for the Second Time, Earning $205,000 Prize
GCash's new top-up solution enables direct funding from overseas within digital wallets
MANILA, Philippines and LONDON, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, today announced a new collaboration with GCash, the leading digital wallet in the Philippines. This ground-breaking initiative enables GCash users to top up their wallet balances directly within the app using funds from their U.K. and European bank accounts. This collaboration makes cross-border top-ups real-time and more cost efficient, offering GCash users in Europe more convenience and financial control.
About 2 million Filipino expatriates live and work in Europe and maintain ties to the Philippines. Those who own a GCash digital wallet can now better support their relatives back home by topping up their wallet instantly, and by ensuring that the money is used as intended, whether for education, healthcare, or household expenses. This innovative initiative highlights the importance that Thunes and GCash place on financial inclusion and community empowerment by helping people improve financial oversight and spending management.
As a Member of Thunes' proprietary Direct Global Network, leveraging its SmartX Treasury System and Fortress Compliance Platform, GCash enjoys unrivaled speed, control, visibility, protection, and cost efficiencies for their customers' cross-border account top-ups within their GCash account.
Paul Albano, General Manager of GCash International, said, "We are delighted to be a Member of Thunes' Direct Global Network, to enable GCash users to top up their accounts instantly from their overseas bank accounts. This service will support hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the U.K. and Europe by improving how they move money across borders into their digital wallets with better control over their finances. In this way, Filipinos living abroad can better utilize GCash to maintain ties with their home communities."
Floris de Kort, CEO of Thunes, added, "We are expanding our collaboration with GCash, a long-standing valued Member of our Direct Global Network, to transform digital wallet top-ups. Through Thunes' Direct Global Network, we are now delivering an instant top-up service that simplifies cross-border transactions. Our alliance with GCash is a testament to our passion for innovation, the versatility of our proprietary network, and our dedication to financial inclusion through money movement around the world."
Notes to Editors:
Many Filipinos have strong family ties and business relationships back in the Philippines. Filipinos utilize GCash to pay bills, goods and services, friends and family, and obtain financing. The wallet facilitates purpose-driven payments to pay medical bills, housing costs and education.
GCash has helped enable unbanked and underbanked Filipinos take part in the internet and gig economy, spurring financial inclusion.
According to the World Bank, the Philippines has the fourth largest market worldwide for inbound remittances, with $39 billion sent in 2024. In 2024, Europe sent $3.8 billion to the Philippines.
About Thunes:
Thunes is the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world. Thunes' proprietary Direct Global Network allows Members to make payments in real-time in over 130 countries and more than 80 currencies. Thunes' Network connects directly to over 7 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts worldwide, as well as 15 billion cards via more than 320 different payment methods, such as GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay, WeChat Pay and many more. Thunes' Direct Global Network differentiates itself through its worldwide reach, in-house SmartX Treasury System and Fortress Compliance Platform, ensuring Members of the Network receive unrivaled speed, control, visibility, protection, and cost efficiencies when making real-time payments, globally. Members of Thunes' Direct Global Network include gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo, super-apps like Grab and WeChat, MTOs, fintechs, PSPs and banks. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 15 locations, including Abidjan, Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Manila, Nairobi, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/
About GCash
GCash is the Philippines' #1 Finance Super App and Largest Cashless Ecosystem. Through the GCash App, users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills via partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 6 million partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. Its mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines.
GCash is a staunch supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Thunes and GCash launch innovative, cross-border digital wallet top-up solution
