2017 Tech Predictions: Faster Speeds, Bigger Data, Smarter Cities

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Another year has come and gone, and we wonder about what is forthcoming as citizens of a highly connected and digitized world.   In a society where everything can change in the blink of an eye, we list down what we think are most likely to happen in the next dozen months.

LTE Dominance

4G LTE is big in the Philippines and it is no longer just available in key urban centers. Far flung regions have also began enjoying this high speed mobile technology thanks to efforts of telcos such as PLDT’s wireless unit Smart. Smart’s use of its recently tapped 700MHz will allow for wider range of LTE signal reach and stronger indoor penetration, making mobile experience much better than the current 3G standards.

With demand at an all-time high, expect more compatible phones, faster speeds, and better coverage. To be able to ride on to this LTE-wave, make sure you’re on an LTE phone – even better if it’s 700MHz-compatible.

Fiber on a Budget

Just like its nutritious namesake, Fiber is the best when it comes to ensuring a smooth and zippy internet experience. In recent years it has become more affordable and more reliable at that—it shouldn’t come as a surprise if it comes out with an even more affordable offering soon.

Moreover, in 2017, we’re expecting fiber internet experience to be deployed rapidly. PLDT recently announced that it’s starting to roll out “fiber-fast broadband on regular phone lines” through technologies called GiGa Wire and G.fast. Over 500 buildings and residences are expected to be fiber-boosted soon.

Watch Stars or Be The Star

With both LTE and Fiber gaining widespread popularity, the rise of on-demand Live video services will undoubtedly follow suit. Fast connectivity is key for creating and consuming video content. It is also integral in making broadcasting features such as Facebook Live a hassle-free experience, continuously evolving how we send and receive live reports and updates.

NFC FTW!

Tap-to-go cashless payments will become the norm. We’ve already seen the contactless devices and tap cards make transportation less stressful, and in 2017 it will become more versatile than ever. In fact it can already be used in popular convenience store chains.

Cashless Online Shopping

Many have already seen the online shopping revolution take shape, but it’s still not as cashless as it should be. A number still prefer the Cash-On-Delivery (COD) payment method over more modern and convenient means. The good news, online payment will continue to be more flexible and convenient, with the rise of virtual payment cards and accounts. With the increasing acceptance of these channels, no need for everyone to own a credit card to purchase goods and services from websites and apps.

IoT for Pinoys

Internet of Things or IoT offerings for Filipinos will come into fruition. Unlike the ones available in more progressive countries, the localized version of IoT will cater to the Pinoys’ needs—perhaps a flood monitoring tool, door sensors, or even a real-time electricity consumption meter. All of these special functions can be monitored via an easy-to-use mobile app.

3D Printing for All

Designing your own scale models will further spur creativity to an already creative nation. 3D printing can create a new breed of digital Filipino sculptors that can take the world by storm. Local manufacturing, too, can benefit from this technology as it will allow them to create prototypes quickly and at significantly lower cost.

Burmese Countrymen Motivate Aung La N Sang to Win World Title

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Burmese mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Aung La N Sang will have the opportunity of a lifetime as he gets a deserving shot at the ONE Middleweight World Championship belt.

Aung La challenges division kingpin Vitaly Bigdash in the main event of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

Marcin Prachnio was originally penciled to lock horns with Bigdash for the gold-plated strap, but the highly-touted Polish combatant was forced to withdraw from the middleweight championship clash due to an injury.

Stepping in to replace Prachnio is Aung La, who is riding high on a remarkable four-fight winning streak.

2016 has been a big year for the man known as “The Burmese Python,” who got his nickname due to his constricting style of fighting. Aung La won three consecutive fights in impressive fashion last year.

Returning from a nearly two-year hiatus, Aung La showed that he did not have cage rust in him by outstandingly submitting Egyptian stalwart Mohamed Ali with a first-round guillotine choke in March.

Aung La followed it up by handing Aleksei Butorin his first career defeat last August, forcing the Russian standout to tap with an arm-triangle choke in the second round.

Privacy Commission Finds Bautista Criminally Liable for "ComeLeak" Data Breach

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has found that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) violated the Data Privacy Act of 2012; and has recommended the criminal prosecution of Chairman J. Andres D. Bautista, for the data breach that occurred between 20 and 27 of March last year.

In its decision dated December 28, 2016, on NPC Case No. 16-001, the NPC underscored Bautista’s “lack of appreciation” of the principle that data protection is more than just implementation of security measures. “Data privacy is more than the deployment of technical security; it also includes the implementation of physical and organizational measures, as well as regular review, evaluation, and updating of COMELEC’s privacy and security policies and practices,” the decision reads.

The NPC said the COMELEC “violated Sections 11, 20 and 21 of the Republic Act No. 10173” in the dispense of the agency’s duty as “personal information controller.” The document, meantime, mentioned Chairman Bautista as having “violated the provisions of Section 11, 20, 21 and 22 in relation to Section 26” of the same law.

Section 26 of the Data Privacy Act, which penalizes accessing sensitive personal information due to negligence, imposes imprisonment from 3 to 6 years and a fine from P500,000 to P4,000,000. Meantime, Section 36 accords additional penalties when the offender is a public officer, consisting in the disqualification from public office for a period equivalent to double the term of criminal penalty.

“The personal data in the breach is contained in several databases kept in the website: (a) the voter database in the Precinct Finder web application, containing75,302,683 records; (b) the voter database in the Post Finder web application, which contains 1,376,067 records; (c) the iRehistro registration database, with139,301 records; (d) the firearms ban database, containing 896,992 personal data records and 20,485 records of firearms serial numbers; and (e) the COMELEC personnel database, containing records of 1,267 COMELEC personnel,” the document reads, making the incident the worst recorded breach on a government-held personal database in the world, based on sheer volume.

Further illustrating the breadth of the breach, the NPC decision also gave a rundown of what types of compromised sensitive personal information were contained in COMELEC’s two web-based applications; “The voter database in the Precinct Finder application contained each voter’s complete name, date of birth, gender, civil status, address, precinct number, birthplace, disability, voter identification number, voter registration record number, reason for deletion/deactivation, registration date, and update time.”

“The voter database in the Post Finder application contained information on each voter’s verified name, date of birth, gender, civil status, post of registration, passport information, with number and expiry date, taxpayer identification number, e-mail address, mailing address, spouse’s name, the complete names of the voter’s mother and father, the voter’s addresses in the Philippines and abroad, post or country of registration, old registration information, Philippine representative’s complete name, citizenship, registration assistor, profession, sector,height and weight, identifying marks, biometrics description, voting history, mode of voting, and other textual reference information for the voter registration system,” the decision further reads, depicting how much personal data are now most likely in the hands of criminal elements as a result of the COMELEC data breach.

Referring to Bautista, the NPC decision reads “the wilful and intentional disregard of his duties as head of agency, which he should know or ought to know, is tantamount to gross negligence. The lack of a clear data governance policy, particularly in collecting and further processing of personal data, unnecessarily exposed personal and sensitive information of millions of Filipinos to unlawful access.

"A head of agency making his acts depend on the recommendations of the Executive Director or the Information Technology Department amplifies the want of even slight care. The duty to obey the law should begin at the top and should not be frustrated simply because no employee recommended such action,” the NPC decision further reads.

As corrective measures, the NPC has ordered the COMELEC and Chairman Bautista to do the following:

Appoint a Data Protection Officer in one month’s time from receipt of the decision. Conduct an agency-wide Privacy Impact Assessment within two months. Create a Privacy Management Program and a Breach Management Procedure within three months. Within six months upon receipt of the decision, the COMELEC is also obliged to implement organizational, physical and technical security measures in compliance with the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Data Privacy Act and the provisions of NPC Circular No. 16-01, on Security of Personal Data in Government Agencies.

The NPC has also recommended to the Secretary of Justice “further investigation for possible prosecution” under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, having found that one of the computers used in the COMELEC data breach had an IP address registered with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).