TechCOW - The Geek Within

TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, has partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, to launch the #ForClimate challenge, injecting new vitality into IFRC’s #FacesOfClimateChange global initiative.

From September 16th to 30th, TikTok users can raise awareness of climate change by using three specially designed stickers depicting extreme weather conditions: Rainstorm, Snowstorm and Global Warming.  

In addition, TikTok users can also take part in an interactive quiz where they can test their knowledge on environmental protection and share actions they have done to help end the climate crisis. The quiz consists of 15 questions including “"Should plastic bags be banned?" “"Will you buy used goods?" and beyond.

Dr Jemilah Mahmood, IFRC’s Under Secretary General for Partnerships, said:

“TikTok’s social platform is perfect for getting a serious message across in a way that’s thrilling, inspiring, and energetic. We’re looking forward to seeing young people bring their stories to a global audience.” 

Dr. Mahmood also shared her video #ForClimate on TikTok 

#ForClimate is a global campaign and users from 100+ countries and regions, including United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and more can participate. 

“TikTok's global community allows users to express their creative ideas through short videos. We’re thrilled to partner with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on the #ForClimate challenge, which empowers our community to creatively show their commitment to climate change and raise awareness for the importance of protecting our planet,” said Helena Lersch, Director of Public Policy, TikTok. 

By offering a home for creative expression and an experience that is genuine, joyful, and positive, TikTok is a great platform for driving initiatives on social responsibility. There has already been a series of “TikTok for Good” campaigns such as #SaveOurOceans demonstrating how TikTok users are taking action to protect the planet. 

On 22 September, a TikTok representative will join hands with IFRC to present at the 2019 UN Climate Change Summit. Download or open the TikTok app to creatively express your support for #ForClimate. 

TikTok, one of today’s popular mobile video apps, has become a booming social network giant that attracts millions of users worldwide including millennials and the genZs. As a “global video community”, it has become a go-to platform to everyone and anyone who wishes to show their talent, skills or simply be part of a community with the same interests.

Every second, users share fun and memorable videos with their angsty facial expressions, smooth dance moves, and curated visual effects. Whether you are in the comforts of your home, outdoor by the beach, or at a formal event, there is a perfect filter, music or transition effects to help share these moments in TikTok.

With the “-ber” months full of fashion events, social gatherings and charity balls, make sure you don’t miss out on sharing the inner fashionista in you. Want to make a red carpet or runway-worthy video in just 15 seconds? Slay it with TikTok!

The Transformation 

Document your before and after look. Share it from your pre-event pampering to the moment you wear that glamorous dress or custom-tailored suit. Show them that Cinderella effect!

Runway Ready

OOTD shots are overrated. Create a montage of your stylish outfits like a true A-list star. Play with those outfits and serve the looks we all need to see.

Be A Movie/TV Star

Channel your inner movie star. Choose from the list of memorable scenes from your favorite movies and TV series. Wear that glitter dress plus an iconic coat and be Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, or for guys be MI6 agent James Bond wearing that sleek black suit. Remember- Everyone Is A Star!

The After Party

Fun moments need fun music. Gather your friends and make your own music video to capture and share such  moments during and after these events. You can choose from pop, punk, disco, and EDM, the sky’s the limit!

Create your 15 seconds of Glam and Fashion in TikTok, the world’s leading short-form video sharing app. Available for iOS and Android

Do you hear the bells ringing and jingling? We know you’re excited to sing ♫♪Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays♪♫ because September is the Philippines’ widely accepted but unofficial beginning of the Christmas season.

Be part of the joy to the world by creating videos with these TikTok sound bites that would remind everyone of that good Paskong Pinoy feeling.

We listed 5 iconic songs that you can use to bring the Christmas spirits on your next TikTok videos:

1.      “Christmas in Our Hearts.“ Jose Mari Chan has become the undisputable Filipino Christmas icon because of this 90s hit. The song is a reflection of the traditional Christmas in the country with children selling lanterns on the street and the community attending church services; all in remembrance and celebration of the birth of Christ. This explains the reason why this song tugs every Pinoy at the heartstrings.

2.      “All I Want for Christmas is You.” This chart-topper cemented Mariah Carey’s Christmas diva status. Why not create a video and tag @mariahcarey on TikTok? The Songbird Supreme loves a good engagement with her fans as she also joined the trending #Obsessed challenge.

3.      “O Holy Night.” Bring out your inner Yuletide diva while lip synching to another Carey Christmas classic. Belting this song will also be a sure hit as the TikTok community supports great talents!

4.      “Last Christmas.”  From the 80’s pop duo Wham!, “Last Christmas made it to the list because in spite of the song’s betrayal angle, it also conveys a hopeful message of finding a more deserving love. Through the years, a lot of artists covered the song including Carly Rae Jepsen,  Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. The world’s waiting for your own 15-second version.

5.      “Mano Po, Ninong.” Popularized the backbending songstress, Pilita Corrales, this Christmas classic featured a beautiful Filipino gesture, pagmamano. From the word mano (hand), the person giving the greeting bows toward the hand of the elder and presses their forehead on the back of the elder's hand. It is an act of respect to elders as elders give their blessing in return. It is a Christmas custom to bring the godchildren to their ninong (godfather) and ninang (godmother) and receive aguinaldo (gifts). Parokya ni Edgar has a tweaked version of this song in the point-of-view of an adult godchild.

To match these songs are the top Christmas filters on TikTok: 

Christmas Snow. Yes, living in a tropical country, Pinoys are deprived of Christmas snow but not on TikTok. Live your White Christmas fantasy with this cool filter. For alternatives, you can also use the effects ShakeSnow or SnowflakeMask.

Cat & Owner Santa. The app is very inclusive that it created a filter that’s purr-fect for you and your lovely pet.

Reindeer Makeup. A whole new level of beauty awaits when you apply this reindeer inspired makeup filter. Also a good alternative is the Christmas makeup filter.

Christmas Lens. Life is as colorful as it can get on Christmastime. Record and preview your -BER moments in Christmas colors. 

Big Nose Santa. If comedy is your forte, here’s the perfect Christmas filter that will give your audience a hearty laugh!

How to use the Effects QR? Tap Discover and click on the scan button located at the top right area of your screen. Scan and record!

All songs and filters can be searched on TikTok, the world’s leading short-form video sharing app. Available for iOS and Android.  

TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, has partnered with Conservation International, to launch the #SaveOurOceans challenge. Conservation International works around the world to protect oceans and marine ecosystems – and the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on them.

The challenge spotlights the critical role of the world's oceans and what we can do to protect them for future generations. 

As a platform for creativity, TikTok users can show their support for ocean conservation through their short videos and raise awareness to protect our oceans for a better future. 

From August 26 to September 9, TikTok users can apply an ocean effect that lets them virtually "clean plastic" out of the ocean. For every video uploaded with the hashtag #SaveOurOceans, TikTok will donate $2 to Conservation International to help save 3,000 square kilometers of ocean (up to $100,000). #SaveOurOceans is a global campaign and users from countries and regions including: the US, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Turkey, MENA, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile can participate.

The ocean has a message for you: http://vm.tiktok.com/YYG4eu/

Join Shailene Woodley, Chierald Tan and TikTok creators around the globe to help #SaveOurOceans:

The ocean-themed challenge comes at a time when the world is grappling with a global plastic pollution situation. The UN estimates that the ingestion of plastic kills 1 million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each year. Scientists predict that the weight of ocean plastics will exceed the combined weight of all of the fish in the seas by 2050.

“TikTok's global community allows users to showcase and enjoy creative, everyday moments through video. We’re thrilled to partner with Conservation International on the #SaveOurOceans challenge, which empowers our community to creatively show their commitment to clean oceans and raise awareness for the importance of protecting a global resource,” said Bryan Thoensen, Head of Content Partnerships, TikTok.  

"By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans. TikTok offers an imaginative platform that has the power to both educate and inspire users to take action. That's why we are partnering with TikTok and its global communities to address one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges and together, inspire a creative, call to action around protecting our oceans for a better future," said Conservation International Chief Marketing Officer Anastasia Khoo. 

Help protect our oceans, one TikTok video at a time. Download or open the TikTok app and show how you help #SaveOurOceans. 

A viral cat video has been making the rounds in social media which featured the 1954 song “Mr. Sandman” by the Chordettes matched with a 9-split screen TikTok filter. Some users even captioned it as the “best thing on the internet today.”

Days after, it was a corgi doing the same routine and Filipino netizens can’t help but share the overwhelming cuteness of these furry creatures. No doubt the  koala version would go viral, too.

But why do Pinoys fancy pet videos and memes?

Our appreciation and love for animals is so great that the Philippines ranked 5th in dog ownership worldwide based from the statistics of Australian pet insurer, Petsecure. There is an estimated 11.6M dogs who have Pinoy pet parents. Bantay (guard) and Muning are no longer common names for dogs and cats, respectively. We now give “hooman” names to our pets and treat them as part of the family.

This extreme fascination extends to our appreciation to pet memes and videos. Adults can agree that in the midst of the hectic schedule and overwhelming workload, a cat meme is a visual stress ball.

Why not take your meme game to thethe next level create the next viral pet video? Here’s how: 

DOWNLOAD the TikTok app which is available for iOS and Android.

o SOUND: Tap ”Discover” and search for “Mr. Sandman”. You know you have the right song if it starts with a rhythmic clapping.

FILTER: Some TikTok accounts have the 9 screen Delay filter. In the latest version though, if you weren’t able to save the Delay filter, the closest you get is the Hexa-Delay which is limited to a 6 split screen effect. Don’t worry because it will still be equally fun and entertaining.

SHOOT: Record the video in a safe space where your furry friend will likely be comfortable. Remember, this video is about having fun and bonding with your pets. No animal or human shall be harmed.

Hit the record button and enjoy! If you don’t get the timing right the first time, you can always retake. Or just leave it as it is. Pets have a way to make challenge fails cute and adorable!

SHARE: Of course, the whole world can’t get enough of animal videos that’s already in the internet! Upload your video on TikTok and use the hashtag #MrSandmanChallenge so other users can easily track your video. Go and flex your furbabies!

Recent and well publicized cyber attacks are damaging, costly, and have the potential to deprive communities of essential services, but stopping them poses significant challenges.  

Local government CISOs and IT departments face pressures from all sides: on the one hand, citizens are demanding digital services and frictionless online experiences, but on the other, government leaders want to reduce risk within the IT infrastructure, and face increasingly stringent data security compliance requirements. Moreover, limited budgets are always a reality.  

Today’s cybercriminals are savvy and well aware that local governments hold massive amounts of data. They’re readily equipped to exploit that data’s value, whether by selling it on the dark web, or through extortionary tactics like ransomware attacks.  

Attractive Data  

As local governments and municipalities are called upon to deliver services more efficiently, they’re quickly expanding their technology infrastructures and the number of services they offer online. This means that their IT environments are growing rapidly and their complexity is skyrocketing. It also means that governments are collecting, storing, and transmitting ever-increasing amounts of sensitive data from their citizens.  

Growing Cybersecurity Challenges  

With these increasing services comes infrastructure sprawl and complexity. Many local governments now offer services via mobile or web applications, and a growing percentage of government organizations are turning to cloud-enabled storage or computing solutions. But, this IT modernization brings challenges: IT infrastructures are increasingly distributed and heterogeneous, and attack surfaces correspondingly larger. At the same time, IT departments struggle to maintain visibility and control in these diverse environments.

In many ways, this creates the perfect storm for adversaries, and local governments’ capacities for defense, response, and remediation are not always growing to keep pace with the size of the threat, due to some key challenges:

  Breaking Down Silos

The agencies and departments comprising local governments often have highly-segregated organizational structures. This can make it difficult to develop centralized and consistent cybersecurity programs and standards, and implement them throughout the whole of the organization. Simply put, silos don’t lend themselves to efficient collaboration. But stakeholders throughout all parts and segments of local government organizations must come together in support of a stronger cybersecurity posture—including greater awareness of the problem and better employee education—if there is to be real change.

Budget Constraints

Taxpayer-funded organizations like municipalities and local governments often have extremely limited resources. It’s not uncommon for them to operate with legacy hardware or software, and a lack of technical security controls. In the current job market, cybersecurity talent is hard to come by, and salaries are high. 

Ransomware is Top of Mind

The attacks on multiple cities, local governments, and education systems serve as a reminder that ransomware is not going away, but instead continues to pose a serious threat going forward. Ransomware attacks continue to move away from mass-volume, opportunistic attacks to more targeted attacks on organizations, which are perceived as having either the ability or the incentive to pay ransoms. In some instances, cybercriminals have conducted considerable reconnaissance before deploying their ransomware on carefully selected systems to maximize opportunity.

Regardless of the vector, as our latest Threat Landscape Report shows, ransomware continues to pose a serious threat for organizations going forward, serving as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing patching and infosecurity awareness education. 

What’s Needed: Simpler Security Solutions

In order for local governments and municipalities to continue their digital transformation initiatives without compromising on security, it’s imperative that CISOs identify and deploy the security solutions that will enable them to make the best use of their limited resources. Not only must they compare the purchase and implementation costs of the technologies they’re considering, but it’s vital that they consider the management and administrative burden they would impose as well.

A consolidated, end-to-end solution offers significant advantages over an assortment of disparate point products. When local government IT departments adopt a fabric approach, it becomes easier to deploy and administer. If all components in the infrastructure can be managed through a central pane-of-glass interface, labor hours are much reduced, and costs will be a great deal lower.

In addition, integrated solutions are more effective, reducing overall risks. When devices are capable of sharing intelligence and taking automated action in response to threats, no component of the IT environment remains an island. Comprehensive solutions enable more seamless coverage, better visibility, and automated compliance reporting.