Digital gangsters/ Cong. Sabong

Because of online and social media manipulations and the workings of “digital gangsters” who collect, trade and manipulate people’s personal data, we invited Mr. Art Samaniego – cyber security expert and tech director of the Manila Bulletin to teach our viewers on the growing problem. I learned that hackers and data miners have upped their game by using the “Pineapple,” a device that looks exactly like a portable WiFi router. But what it does is it taps into your device – phone, laptop or Ipad – and records your key strokes and data. So while you sit at a coffee shop, internet cafe or airport lounge doing your online work or chatter, the criminal with the Pineapple simply sits within the same space monitoring and taking your data. Instead of a wire tap or an analog phone scanner locking in on an audio frequency, the Pineapple acts like a dummy WiFi that robs you. In a way it is similar to the fake or dummy portal where hackers trick you into placing your ATM cards and copying your password and ATM image – but all done digitally.

Another trap used by data miners or intel spies is through “giveaway” USBs or by strategically placing a USB device by the door of your car, your table or some place, making it look like someone dropped it. People will of course insert that USB into a computer to know if the content is of importance. This, according to Art Samaniego, will lead to our serious regret if the USB was loaded with a malware or “virus” intended to sabotage a computer, trigger a hack or silently initiate a “Forward” data command online. Even after you pull out the USB, the command has been imbedded into your laptop and any data the “digital gangster” wants ends up delivered to them.

Another interesting information Art Samaniego shared was about the hacking and stealing of Facebook accounts early this year that subsequently died down and was never heard from again. We all assumed that Facebook was responsible for putting a stop to the criminal digital activity. Apparently not, according to Samaniego, the Facebook account hacks did stop but not because someone shut them down. The hackers simply found a better way of doing it; they resumed their activities last July but what they did was to quietly monitor the accounts, keep a backdoor open, gather data on a need basis without any of us knowing. Samaniego stated that there are several digital cyber security groups that have been monitoring such activities and they all concluded that the Digital Gangsters are now ghost squatters in many accounts. When the groups checked the data being gathered, they were based on a profile targeting Filipinos aged 18 to 65 and currently living or residing in the Philippines. The assumption is that the profile fits audiences who vote or respond to surveys and are used for both ends.

We tackled those games, quizzes or pop up prompts on social media that ask questions about who studied where, who remembers an event, where did you live the longest, etc. They seem to trigger nostalgia in you but the reality is that it is a data gathering approach to collect vital information and demographics. In case you doubt this, please make an effort to watch a really great documentary titled: “The Great Hack” on Netflix. If you use a mobile phone or tablet or you go online for any number of reasons you must watch “The Great Hack” because it is a guaranteed education on “User Beware.”

By the way, the minute I started featuring people and topics to prevent social media manipulation and violence especially before the elections, we noticed that a handful of Trolls started popping up on the Facebook feed of AGENDA. Please observe the rules of the Zoo: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS and starve the trolls.

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After writing about the frustration and anger of many game farm owners and breeders of fighting cocks, I received a number of reactions from like minded individuals as well as people who have been waiting to get their franchise for Online Sabong. A group of businessmen/sabungeros complained that on the date they were promised by PAGCOR that they would get their franchise permits, the release was postponed allegedly because certain Board members of PAGCOR had gone on vacation to the United States. The frustrated businessmen have no way of confirming the excuse but they suspect that the absence of the PAGCOR Board members was meant to delay the release of their franchise. Is there a hidden hand or vested interest protecting other operators? If it’s true that certain officials all went on a trip abroad, who paid for the trip and was it an official trip?

Other sabungeros have asked me to reach out to Congressman Sonny Lagon who once upon a time was the favorite of sabungeros and who helped him get his party-list group into Congress with the promise that the congressman would ALSO represent sabungeros. Team Agenda has invited Lagon on at least two occasions to talk about the situation and he sent this reply: “Hello as much as I want to, I cannot be able to do the interview since I am a politician and it’s inappropriate to discuss about gambling. Thank you for the invitation – Cong. Sonny Lagon.” Perhaps it is time for sabungeros and farm owners to push for their own party-list group for proper representation.

A businessman from Dumaguete texted: “I am hurting too together with millions of cockfighting aficionados regarding the unfair guidelines of the IATF on traditional cockfighting and closure of cockpits. Online: Open – Traditional: Closed. The written guideline ng IATF says pag Alert Level 3 puede na cockpits. Right after binawi declaring cockpits will remain closed. Obvious that the IATF is influenced by operators of Online Sabong. Do not force small time cockfighters to engage in illegal tupadas na kung mahuli ay ang laki ng piyansa.”

Open cockpits to fighters and their roosters only. No audience.

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