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Time Business News
a day ago
- Politics
- Time Business News
The pay-to-delete web that feeds on reputations: kompromat1.online, vlasti.io and antimafia.se
When detectives from Kyiv's cyber-crime unit opened the ProtonMail account fznv@ in early 2024 they expected colourful spam. Instead, they stumbled on a tariff sheet: 'Delete post, promise no more negatives, add two 'positive' articles, annual support – 12 000 USD, payable in crypto.' The offer concerned a fresh smear on member of parliament Valerii Dubil. The signature under the message belonged to 'Denys' from an unnamed ad agency but the wallet traced straight back to a circle that has been churning kompromat since at least 2013. Price list of silence Court files list four earlier demands: 6 000 USD to lift a damaging piece on a top Verkhovna Rada official in 2020. to lift a damaging piece on a top Verkhovna Rada official in 2020. 0.37 Bitcoin – roughly 14 000 USD at the time – for erasing posts about Alliance Bank. – roughly 14 000 USD at the time – for erasing posts about Alliance Bank. 3 000 USD minimum to pull minor items seeded across mirror sites. minimum to pull minor items seeded across mirror sites. 150-200 USD for planting a single news-blurb, rising to 2 000 USD for a full article when the topic is hot. One victim told investigators the negotiators were blunt: 'We can stop writing about you and delete the old stuff, two bitcoin does the job.' Another, interviewed under oath, said the group 'published first, called later.' The people behind the keyboard Police notes, tax records and leaked Instagram pictures paint a tight-knit crew from the city of Pryluky: Konstantin Chernenko , 43, registered the Antikor trademark in 2016 and bankrolls servers via Monobank and Raiffeisen. , 43, registered the trademark in 2016 and bankrolls servers via Monobank and Raiffeisen. Serhii Khantil , confidant and on-paper registrant, used email hantil@ backed by Chernenko's own phone +380 93 744 4516. , confidant and on-paper registrant, used email hantil@ backed by Chernenko's own phone +380 93 744 4516. Yurii Horban , ex-TV journalist, now press officer at the Ilko Kucheriv Foundation, appears in restaurant photos alongside Chernenko and Khantil. , ex-TV journalist, now press officer at the Ilko Kucheriv Foundation, appears in restaurant photos alongside Chernenko and Khantil. Bohdan Horban , Yurii's son, doubles as a parliamentary aide and, according to three rulings, represented the portals in court. , Yurii's son, doubles as a parliamentary aide and, according to three rulings, represented the portals in court. Lesia Zhuravska , 57, a former factory accountant, receives transfers from middlemen including Mykhailo Betsa of 'Buying Press' ad agency. , 57, a former factory accountant, receives transfers from middlemen including Mykhailo Betsa of 'Buying Press' ad agency. Ihor Savchuk, an ex-soldier, controls the reserve Gmail addresses that reset passwords across multiple sites. Chernenko left Ukraine on 18 January 2021 – a month after the second extortion case was opened – and resurfaced in Warsaw where he and Halyna Zolkina registered INFACT Sp. z o.o. The latest Polish filings show a 49.7 percent drop in revenue and a 145 percent plunge in net profit for 2023, hinting that the content-farm business is feeling pressure. Money trail Transactions rarely move directly. Officers traced ransom payments from private entrepreneurs D. Shpakovych, M. Sarai and V. Osadchyi through PrivatBank into Zhuravska's cards, then on to service invoices for Variti, a Russian anti-DDoS host currently shielding traffic. When a lump sum lands, apartments and SUVs follow: Chernenko bought a Toyota RAV4 in July 2014; Horban senior upgraded to a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in August 2019; Bohdan's asset declarations list Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Ulysse Nardin watches, each worth several annual parliamentary salaries. Technical fingerprints Analysts from BlackBox OSINT found a common Google Ads Publisher ID (4336163389795756) shared by and tying Ukrainian-hosted sites to Russian propaganda outlets. A mirror pattern is visible on Telegram: channels K1 (155 k subscribers), Antimafia (78 k) and Kartoteka (120 k) recycle identical posts within minutes, an indicator the uploads are automated from one dashboard. Password-reset forms for and all reveal the same backup mailbox beginning with ih, a nod to Savchuk. Further context and the detailed anatomy of the scheme can be read in Octagon's long-form investigation. Network Overview The consortium now controls 60+ websites. Active domains include The first five drive the most traffic. After Roskomnadzor (RKN) blocked their Russian-language portals in 2023 they began releasing English copy to keep search rankings alive. What comes next On 24 June 2024 prosecutors invoked articles 182-2 and 189-4 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code against the group, citing an 'organized scheme to harvest private data, fabricate allegations and extort property.' Investigators seized thirty-four servers, but the sites re-emerged under fresh .se and .io addresses within days. Chernenko, still on the road, is not listed in any public wanted database. Khantil runs day-to-day operations, swapping Yandex for ProtonMail yet keeping the same sales pitch. One senior officer mused aloud in a briefing: 'They behave like ransomware gangs – publish, threaten, collect, repeat.' Until a court finds a way to pin legal responsibility to real passports rather than offshore shells, the twelve-thousand-dollar delete button remains very much for sale. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Maybank, Alliance Bank's base rates cut by 0.25pct effective Friday
KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) and Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd will cut their base rates by 25 basis points in line with Bank Negara Malaysia's reduction of the overnight policy rate. Maybank will revise its base rate from 3.00 per cent to 2.75 per cent, while its base lending rate will be adjusted from 6.65 per cent to 6.40 per cent effective July 11. "Similarly, the Islamic base financing rate will be reduced by 25 basis points from 6.65 per cent to 6.40 per cent," it said. In tandem with the revision, fixed deposit rates for both Maybank and Maybank Islamic will also be reduced by 25 basis points, effective on the same date. Meanwhile, Alliance Bank and Alliance Islamic Bank will lower their base rate from 3.82 per cent to 3.57 per cent per annum. Their base lending and base financing rates will also be revised from 6.67 per cent to 6.42 per cent per annum, effective July 15. "In tandem with the revision, Alliance Bank and Alliance Islamic Bank will also adjust their fixed deposit rates downwards on the same effective date," the bank said.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alliance Bank uses SAS to elevate asset and liability management
Malaysian financial services group tackles regulatory compliance, enhances data quality and transforms risk management CARY, N.C., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad ("Alliance Bank") has turned to data and AI leader SAS as part of a transformational strategy to drive sustainable growth. With SAS® Asset and Liability Management, the bank has bolstered monitoring and oversight of its interest rate and liquidity risk management with advanced stress testing, scenario analysis and predictive analytics capabilities, enabling it to make faster, more accurate business decisions. These advances come at a critical time: Among the eight bank failures that have rattled the industry since 2023, liquidity risk was a driving factor in seven. The new system's robust daily reporting capabilities, coupled with advanced tracking of depositor concentrations and liquidity analytics, have improved simulations and analyses. This allows Alliance Bank to manage liquidity based on immediate funding needs and fully automate 90% of processes to improve productivity and accuracy. The bank's proactive move to adopt a comprehensive asset and liability management (ALM) solution aligns with its commitment to comply with risk and liquidity guidelines from Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian central bank. "From a cost-efficiency standpoint, this streamlined data sharing, reduced manual interventions and heightened operational efficiency is forecast to help us realize an annual savings," said Jacob Abraham, Group Chief Risk Officer of Alliance Bank. Enhancing security, gaining customersIn 2023, facing market volatility and increasing regulatory requirements, Alliance Bank embarked on a four-year plan – dubbed Acceler8 – to upgrade its systems, create a unified data hub, and integrate its risk and finance functions. SAS Asset and Liability Management allows the bank to streamline operations and automate most processes. In turn, Alliance Bank staff can minimize time spent on time-consuming, error-prone tasks, instead focusing on more strategic, value-adding activities. The cloud-native ALM solution has helped Alliance Bank realize several benefits and efficiencies. In addition to the aforementioned improvements in system performance, the bank: Saw a tenfold improvement in system scalability, availability and uptime, and transactions per second. Saved more than 10% on operational costs, manpower costs and time spent on production processes. Reduced the average time needed for risk assessment and compliance to less than one day. Realized annual savings of more than US$220,000. "Despite compliance being the primary driver for this transition, this transformative leap in ALM management has armed us with superior visibility into interest rates and liquidity," said Kunalan Pecheadavar, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Market Risk at Alliance Bank. "The project further contributed towards our company's Acceler8 strategy to drive efficiencies, growth and stakeholder value as we focus on providing fast, convenient and personalized solutions to our customers." "Due to complex challenges in the industry, ALM processes must come with a high degree of granularity and transparency," said Wilson Yap, Director and Head of Risk Banking Solutions in Asia at SAS. "The SAS approach provides a comprehensive package of analytical, computational and governance capabilities, delivering a broader balance sheet management process that integrates the whole spectrum of risk dimensions. SAS' expertise in integrated risk solutions is demonstrated in how we are able to support banks to achieve business efficiencies, streamline operations and better comply with local regulations." In recognition of the project's achievements, Alliance Bank was awarded the best analytics initiative in the 2024 WatersTechnology Asia Awards, as well as the IDC Future Enterprise Award 2024. Ahead of the risk transformation curveRecent industry research indicates that Alliance Bank isn't alone in prioritizing risk management innovation. Among 300 banking risk executives surveyed by FT Longitude and SAS in late 2024, 75% said they will increase investment in risk technology infrastructure over the next year (up from 51% in 2021). Nearly two-thirds (64%) indicated they will augment spending on third-party risk solutions to automate aspects of their risk management processes (versus 43% in 2021). What did the survey uncover about the use of AI and GenAI in risk management and banks' abilities to detect and mitigate pervasive interest rate and liquidity risks? Download the survey report Transforming Risk Management to explore the findings and chief risk officer perspectives at About SASSAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2025 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Contact:Trey Danielle View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE SAS
Daily Express
30-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Alliance Bank BizSmart® Challenge Launches 'The Ultimate Elevator Pitch – Malaysia's First Feature-Length SME Business Pitch Film'
Published on: Monday, June 30, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 30, 2025 Text Size: From Left to Right: Kelly Kam (Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad), Natalie Tan (Partner 5X Capital), and Bikesh Lakhmichand (CEO & Founding Partner, 1337 Ventures) KUALA LUMPUR: In a unique and landmark convergence of business, storytelling, and digital streaming, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad today launched The Ultimate Elevator Pitch — Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch film focused on SME entrepreneurship in conjunction with World MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) Day. The movie premiers exclusively on iQIYI, one of Asia's leading OTT platforms. Alliance Bank also announced the return of the BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) — the Bank's annual flagship event under the BizSmart® ecosystem, now in its second year. The documentary-style movie offers unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the Accelerator Edition of the BizSmart® Challenge — Alliance Bank's flagship SME development programme which celebrated 10 years in 2024. Viewers will experience the raw emotions, high-stakes pitches, intense questioning and pivotal breakthroughs that capture the real-life drama of building a business in today's fast-paced, volatile environment. Launched in 2013, the BizSmart® Challenge was created to empower local entrepreneurs with access to funding, mentorship, and market exposure. In 2024, the Challenge introduced the 60-second Elevator Pitch as a new and dynamic addition, reinforcing its reputation as a trailblazing platform within Malaysia's SME ecosystem. Furthermore, strengthening its credentials as the pioneering partner of SMEs, Alliance Bank became the first bank to go beyond offering loans to SMEs and offer venture capital through 1337 Ventures and 5X Capital, as well as cash prizes through Cradle MYStartup and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC). 'For over a decade, we've supported entrepreneurs beyond financial services,' said Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank. 'This movie is Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch film that invites the public to witness the grit, vulnerability, and determination behind Malaysia's SME founders. It's a portrait of resilience and ambition — and a celebration of the changemakers building our future.' The 2024 Alliance BizSmart® Challenge awarded RM550,000 in cash prizes to 13 outstanding winners. Among them, BioLoop, Gula Cakery, and HiiVolt emerged as the top three, standing out for their innovation, business acumen, and growth potential. 'These winners reflect the creativity, perseverance, and ambition that define Malaysia's SME sector,' shared Kellee Kam. 'We've gone beyond just providing bank funds — together with our esteemed partners CGC, Cradle's MYStartup , 1337 Ventures , and 5X Capital, we now offer a range of financial solutions from loans to venture funding. We'll continue to support SMEs with funding, mentoring, and visibility. As The Bank For Life, our mission is to empower entrepreneurs to make a lasting impact across industries and communities. We're proud to remain pioneers in this space — just as we were a decade ago when we launched the BizSmart® Challenge.' The idea for The Ultimate Elevator Pitch was sparked by a single insight: entrepreneurship isn't just strategy — it's deeply emotional. It's best understood through the lived experience of founders. With audiences increasingly drawn to authentic, documentary-style content, the Bank saw an opportunity to bring these stories to life in a way that's both exciting and real, to inspire the next cohort of Malaysian entrepreneurs. Partnering with multi-awarded local agency Ampersand Advisory, the film blends cinematic storytelling with entrepreneurial depth — capturing moments that rarely make the headlines but define the heart of business building. 'We see entrepreneurs as heroes, and that's how we approached this movie. Our client was open-minded and the idea of a movie came in a large part from them. The audience gets a rare front-row seat to some of the struggles and high points that define a founder's journey,' said Sandeep Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO of Ampersand Advisory, who also directed the film. 'You'll see the unguarded moments, the investor debates, and the mentorship that shapes growth. It's raw, relatable, and relevant. These are the stories of Malaysia's future business leaders, told without filter.' Filmed during the intensive BizSmart® Challenge journey, the film offers never-before-seen access to mentorship sessions, last-minute pitch prep, emotional highs and lows — and the real stakes faced by entrepreneurs chasing funding and recognition, while managing personal pressures and daily business challenges. 'This is more than a celebration of success. It's a visual archive and story of what it takes to build a business in today's Malaysia', added Sandeep. 'We're delighted that a local home-grown bank wanted to make a heartwarming film about local entrepreneurs, and picked a local agency like ours to do so. As an entrepreneur I can resonate with the journey of these courageous and diverse founders.' Streaming Where Malaysians Watch: The iQIYI Partnership In keeping with today's digital-first habits, iQIYI and Alliance Bank proudly partnered to host Malaysia's first-ever film centred around a business pitch programme — a bold, original concept that celebrates the ambition, innovation, and resilience of local entrepreneurs. The documentary reinforces both brands' commitment to supporting homegrown talent and inspiring content. Watch it exclusively on iQIYI from 18 July 2025, making it accessible to entrepreneurs, students, and aspiring founders across Malaysia, anytime and anywhere. 'This is the first time a bank-led SME initiative has been transformed into a cinematic experience that balances heart and ambition, It proves entrepreneurship isn't reserved for boardrooms — it highlights the highs, lows and spirit of local founders who are taking bold steps to shape their future to make it more meaningful," said Evangeline Song, Head of Brand Partnerships, APAC & Middle East at iQIYI. 'We're excited to bring such authentic, homegrown stories to a wider audience through this collaboration.' Celebrating 10 Years of the BizSmart® Challenge 2024 also marked a milestone 10th anniversary for the BizSmart® Challenge, with the introduction of the Accelerator Edition. This 2024 edition attracted a record-breaking 593 submissions — the highest since the programme began in 2013 — reflecting the vibrancy and competitiveness of Malaysia's SME landscape. The finalists went through months of the programme , including a 4-day Accelerator Programme, business coaching, a 5-minute business pitch, 60-second Elevator Pitch, and the final 3-minute pitch to a panel of industry leaders. The programme ensured each entrepreneur received valuable exposure, insights, and support. In a first, every finalist from last year walked away with a prize — reinforcing Alliance Bank's commitment to inclusive growth and support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. A Prelude to the 2025 BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) Taking place on 7 October 2025 at W Kuala Lumpur, this year's BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) conference is themed 'Boundaries Reimagined' and will feature over 35 speakers, including high- growth founders, visionary investors, and BizSmart® alumni who've scaled their businesses across sectors and regions. This year's line-up includes industry leaders such as CEO of Colony Timothy Tiah, Founder of A Cut Above Winnie Loo, HYGR Co-founders Ivor and Meng, Kee Nguyễn Vietnam Coffee Co-founder and director Radius Khor and , past BizSmart® Challenge winners finalists BioLoop CEO Mah Jun Kit, Gula Cakery founder Nor Arieni and HiiVolt Founder Dr. Jay . The agenda will cover real-world topics such as cross-border business expansion, digital disruption, brand- building under pressure, business model evolution, and how SMEs can thrive through change. Participants can also look forward to curated networking, business-matching opportunities, and access to industry-shaping insights. To mark World MSME Day, a special early bird ticket price of RM88 is available until 3 July 2025 — underscoring the Bank's commitment to making high-impact knowledge and access more inclusive for entrepreneurs at every stage. For more information about the Alliance Bank BizSmart® Challenge visit To watch The Ultimate Elevator Pitch movie, visit [insert the link for iQIYI} which goes live on 18 July 2025. Tickets information and other insights to the BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC) 2025, visit * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
BusinessToday
27-06-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
Alliance Bank Releases Malaysia's First SME Business Pitch Film In Conjunction With World MSME Day
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, The Ultimate Elevator Pitch , Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch film, will premiere exclusively on streaming platform iQIYI on 18 July 2025, marking a bold convergence of business, documentary storytelling and digital streaming. Produced around the 2024 Accelerator Edition of Alliance Bank's BizSmart® Challenge, the documentary offers unfiltered, behind-the-scenes access into high-stakes pitches, mentorships, and the journey of Malaysian entrepreneurs in building their businesses under pressure. The Challenge awarded RM550,000 in cash prizes to 13 winners, including BioLoop, Gula Cakery and HiiVolt. The 2024 programme introduced a new 60-second Elevator Pitch format and received a record-breaking 593 submissions, the highest since its inception in 2013. This year also saw Alliance Bank becoming the first bank in Malaysia to offer SMEs venture capital through partnerships with 1337 Ventures and 5X Capital, beyond its regular financing and grant collaborations with CGC and Cradle's MYStartup. Streaming the documentary on iQIYI reflects a push to reach new audiences, including students and aspiring entrepreneurs, by showcasing the real-world struggles and triumphs of Malaysian business founders. Related
