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AJCCA Conference 2024 in Singapore – Strengthening Cybersecurity Alliances and Recognizing ACRA Achievements

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-Enhancing Cybersecurity in the ASEAN region by Expanding Regional Alliances and Forging New Partnerships-

TOKYO, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On October 17, 2024, the ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA) held a successful conference at the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre in Singapore. This year’s theme was “The Strategic Role of Cybersecurity Communities in Driving Cyber Resilience in Asia,” Government officials, industries, and academics in the cybersecurity field participated, making it an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation.

The welcome speech by AJCCA Chairman Dr. Rudi Lumanto marked the beginning of the event, where he reported on the cybersecurity strengthening initiatives that the association has been advancing. He particularly emphasized the importance of tackling cyber threats through regional cooperation. Dr. Lumanto also expressed his commitment to future efforts, leaving a strong impression on the participants.

▪️Laos has joined as a new member

Lao Cybersecurity Community (LCSC) has officially joined AJCCA as a member. With this addition, the number of AJCCA member countries has expanded to 10, including Laos. This further strengthens the cooperation across ASEAN, and it is expected to enhance regional cybersecurity efforts.

▪️AJCCA and SEA-CC Global Partnership to Strengthen ASEAN Cybersecurity

In a landmark agreement aimed at bolstering cybersecurity across Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA) and the South East Cybersecurity Consortium (SEA-CC) signed a memorandum of understanding, witnessed by Singapore’s Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Ms. Rahayu Mahzam, and AJCCA Chairman, Dr. Rudi Lumanto. Marking a significant step forward for both organizations in their mission to create a safer digital environment in the ASEAN region.

This agreement makes SEA-CC the second global partner of AJCCA, reinforcing their shared commitment to promoting cybersecurity programs and activities across the region. Both organizations are eager to reach more users and provide tangible benefits to society through their joint initiatives.

Dr. Rudi Lumanto expressed confidence in the partnership’s potential, stating, “Collaborating with various communities in the region will enhance security awareness and advance our mission of improving and sustaining cybersecurity capacity.” He emphasized that these collaborations are vital to ensuring the region is prepared for the evolving cyber threats.

▪️AJCCA and idCARE Forge New Partnership to Promote Cybersecurity Awareness

In a significant move to bolster regional cybersecurity, the ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA) signed a mutual understanding and cooperation agreement with the Indonesia Cyber Awareness and Resilience Center (idCARE) of the University of Indonesia.

This partnership marks a major milestone for AJCCA, as idCARE becomes the third global partner in its mission to enhance cybersecurity across the region. Both organizations emphasized that the collaboration would focus on promoting cybersecurity awareness and capacity-building initiatives, which they view as critical in addressing the emerging and sophisticated cyber threats faced by governments, businesses, and individuals in the digital age.

Dr. Salman, Chair of idCARE, expressed his enthusiasm for the new partnership, stating that it would allow the benefits of idCARE’s programs to reach a broader audience across ASEAN. “This collaboration will boost the impact of our initiatives, especially in promoting resilience in the face of evolving cyber threats,” he said.

As part of this cooperation, idCARE has also introduced a new open-source security monitoring tool, Mata Elang, developed under their Project Elang initiative. This tool has now been made available through AJCCA’s community services, offering a free and accessible alternative for anyone seeking security monitoring solutions. This initiative aligns with the shared goal of both organizations to provide resources that can help safeguard digital environments.

Dr Rudi Lumanto, Chairman of AJCCA, mentioned that this partnership highlights AJCCA’s continued efforts to strengthen the region’s cybersecurity framework, focusing on community-based solutions and open-source tools that address real-world security challenges.

▪️AJCCA Announced Cybersecurity Resilience Awards Honoree at Singapore Cyber Security Week

AJCCA announced the award honoree of the First Cybersecurity Resilience Awards (ACRA). The prestigious awards aim to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing cyber resilience in their respective countries across the ASEAN region and Japan.

The head of the award committee, Dr. Hiroshi Esaki, shared that the ACRA initiative is designed to honor those who have played a pivotal role in championing cybersecurity and resilience within the region. “This initiative will celebrate individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to cybersecurity in Japan and ASEAN countries,” Dr. Esaki noted. “It can have numerous positive impacts on the broader cybersecurity landscape, fostering a community that values resilience and collaboration.”

ACRA Lead Coordinator, Sam Jacoba, added that the award would spotlight the exemplary work done between 2019 and August 2024. “The nominees will be evaluated based on five core criteria that align with the Vision, Mission, and Values of the AJCCA,” he said. “These are: Dynamic Leadership, Resilience, Trustworthiness, Respect, and Collaboration.”

The inaugural ACRA 2024 awards this year recognized 19 individuals from Japan and ASEAN countries for their dedication to advancing the AJCCA’s vision of “a dynamic and resilient cybersecurity community in our region through trustworthy and respectful collaboration.” These awardees have demonstrated unwavering commitment to promoting cybersecurity and resilience in their respective nations, ensuring the growth of a secure digital ecosystem across the region.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in AJCCA’s efforts to foster collaboration and resilience among its members, with the hope of driving future advancements in the cybersecurity landscape throughout Southeast Asia and Japan.

List of ACRA Honorees:

Dr. Rosyzie Anna Awg Hj Md Apong (Brunei)
Mr. Mohamad Azad Zaki Haji Mohd Tahir (Brunei)
Mr. Ann Kim (Cambodia)
Mr. Phannarith Ou (Cambodia)
Dr.-Ing. Kalamullah Ramli (Indonesia)
Dr. Rudi Lumanto (Indonesia)
Dr. Koji Nakao (Japan)
Dr. Hiroshi Esaki  (Japan)
Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab (Malaysia)
Mr. Tahrizi Tahreb (Malaysia)
Mr. Jeffrey Ian C. Dy (Philippine)
Mr. Angel S. Averia, JR (Philippine)
Mr. Ng Hoo Ming (Singapore)
Mr. Johnny Kho (Singapore)
Dr.M.L.Kulthon Kasemsan (Thailand)
Dr. Prinya Hom-anek (Thailand)
Mr. Ngô Tuấn Anh (Vietnam)
Mr. Nguyễn Thành Hưng (Vietnam)
Mr. Masayuki Furukawa (Japan)

▪️ AJCCA Conference 2024 – Videos

The AJCCA Conference 2024, held on November 17 in Singapore, is available to view on the AJCCA website. >> https://ajcca.net/

URL: https://ajcca.net/
Contact: info@ajcca.net

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ajcca-conference-2024-in-singapore–strengthening-cybersecurity-alliances-and-recognizing-acra-achievements-302303569.html

SOURCE ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA)

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Portland General Electric declares dividend

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PORTLAND, Ore., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The board of directors of Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.55125 per share.

The company’s dividend is evaluated based on capital requirements and financial performance. PGE targets a dividend payout ratio of 60 to 70% over the long term.

The quarterly dividend is payable on or before October 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 25, 2026.

About Portland General Electric Company
Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is an integrated energy company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to nearly 960,000 customers serving an area of approximately 2 million Oregonians. Since 1889, Portland General Electric (PGE) has been powering economies, delivering safe, affordable and reliable electricity while working to transform energy systems to meet evolving customer needs. PGE continues to make progress towards emissions reduction targets, and customers have set the standard for prioritizing clean energy with the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the country. PGE is ranked a top ten utility in the 2025 Forrester U.S. Customer Experience Index. In 2025, PGE employees and retirees volunteered over 18,300 hours to more than 400 nonprofits organizations. Through the PGE Foundation, along with corporate contributions and the employee matching gift program, more than $5 million was directed to charitable organizations supporting economic growth and community resilience across our service area. For information: portlandgeneral.com/news.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements include statements, other than statements of historical or current fact, regarding the Company’s amount and timing of dividends payable as well as other statements containing words such as “committed to,” “targets,” or similar expressions.

There can be no assurance that future dividends will be declared. The declaration of future dividends is subject to approval of our board of directors and various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: our cash flow and cash needs; the timing or amount of dividends paid; the timing or outcome of various legal and regulatory actions; changes in the Company’s business strategy; increases in capital expenditures; changes in capital and credit market conditions, including volatility of equity markets as well as changes in PGE’s credit ratings and outlook on such credit ratings restrictions on the payment of dividends under existing or future financing arrangements; changes in tax laws relating to corporate dividends; deterioration in our financial condition or results, and those risks, uncertainties, and other factors identified from time-to-time in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website, investors.portlandgeneral.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other factors.

Media Contact:
Drew Hanson
Corporate Communications
Phone: 503-464-2067

Investor Contact:
Erin Schwartz
Investor Relations
Phone: 503-464-7751

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/portland-general-electric-declares-dividend-302834503.html

SOURCE Portland General Company

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Care Career Announces Acquisition of MAS Medical Staffing, Completing Its First Acquisition Phase and Expanding Annual Revenue Beyond $150 Million, with a Path to Exceed a Quarter Billion by the End of 2026 Through Additional Acquisitions and Organic Growth

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WOODBRIDGE, N.J., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Care Career, a rapidly growing healthcare workforce technology organization, today announced the acquisition of MAS Medical Staffing, one of the Northeast’s leading healthcare workforce organizations. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition represents Care Career’s seventh strategic acquisition in the past 24 months, further strengthening the company’s position as one of the largest healthcare workforce organizations in the United States while accelerating its strategy to redefine the future of healthcare workforce management through artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and workforce innovation.

MAS Medical Staffing has built an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality workforce solutions through strong client relationships, exceptional clinician engagement, and deep regional expertise throughout the Northeastern United States. The acquisition significantly expands Care Career’s geographic footprint while broadening its access to healthcare professionals, client relationships, workforce data, and regional market intelligence.

Care Career is building a technology-enabled workforce ecosystem powered by its AI-powered workforce platform, where every acquisition contributes not only additional market presence, but also expanded data, enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities, digital innovation, and operational scale that continuously improve the experience for clients and clinicians alike. As the platform grows, every clinician engagement, client interaction, credential, placement, and workforce trend strengthens the intelligence of Career’s technology, creating a continuously improving ecosystem designed to deliver faster, smarter, and more effective workforce solutions.

The acquisition also brings MAS Medical Staffing’s MAESTRA® engagement technology, along with its client relationships and clinician network, directly onto Career’s AI-powered workforce platform. MAESTRA’s scheduling, credentialing, and communication capabilities will be integrated into Care Career’s existing technology stack, further enhancing clinician engagement across onboarding, scheduling, and career management while providing healthcare organizations with greater workforce visibility and operational efficiency.

“Our vision is to build the AI-powered infrastructure that modernizes healthcare workforce management,” said Siva Konatham, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Care Career. “Under my leadership, Care Career is focused on transforming a fragmented, labor-intensive industry into a data-driven, technology-enabled ecosystem that improves speed, efficiency, and workforce visibility for healthcare providers. Each acquisition strengthens our platform intelligence, expands our scale, and enhances our margin potential. By integrating advanced analytics, AI automation, and digital engagement tools, we are not just growing revenue—we are building a smarter, more scalable model positioned to lead the next era of healthcare workforce solutions.”

The combined organization will leverage expanded recruiting resources, centralized credentialing, advanced workforce analytics, AI-enabled automation, and digital engagement technologies—all powered by Care Career’s AI-powered workforce platform—to deliver broader recruiting capabilities, faster response times, enhanced workforce insights, and expanded national coverage. Clinicians will benefit from a seamless digital experience that simplifies every stage of their careers—from job discovery and credentialing to onboarding, scheduling, communication, and long-term career development.

With seven strategic acquisitions completed in less than two years, representing the first round of acquisitions now totaling more than $150 million in annual revenue, Care Career has rapidly expanded its national presence while executing a disciplined growth strategy focused on technology integration, operational excellence, and workforce innovation. The company has also signed additional Letters of Intent with other entities with expected close dates in the third quarter of 2026. Upon completion of these transactions, coupled with organic growth, Care Career expects consolidated annual revenue to exceed a quarter of a billion dollars by the end of 2026.

The addition of MAS Medical Staffing further strengthens the organization’s ability to serve healthcare systems, hospitals, long-term care providers, outpatient facilities, and other healthcare organizations across an increasingly diverse geographic footprint.

“The healthcare workforce industry is entering a new era where technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making will define the market leaders,” Konatham added. “Every acquisition we complete expands the intelligence of our AI-powered workforce platform, enhances the value we deliver to our clients, and creates more opportunities for clinicians. We believe the combination of exceptional people, innovative technology, and strategic scale positions Care Career to lead the next generation of healthcare workforce solutions.”

About Care Career

Care Career is a technology-enabled healthcare workforce solutions company dedicated to transforming how healthcare organizations recruit, engage, credential, deploy, and retain clinical talent. Powered by its proprietary AI-powered workforce platform and supported by advanced artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and workforce analytics, Care Career is building an intelligent healthcare workforce ecosystem that connects providers and clinicians more efficiently while improving workforce performance, operational effectiveness, and patient care. Following seven strategic acquisitions over the past 24 months the first round of acquisitions totaling more than $150 million in annual revenue and with additional signed LOIs under contract expected to complete shortly, positioning the company to surpass a quarter of a billion dollars in consolidated annual revenue by the end of 2026, Care Career has become one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare workforce organizations, serving healthcare providers and clinicians across the United States.

About MAS Medical Staffing

MAS Medical Staffing is a premier healthcare workforce organization recognized for exceptional service, strong client partnerships, and a commitment to connecting healthcare professionals with rewarding career opportunities. With an established presence throughout the Northeastern United States, MAS Medical Staffing has earned a reputation for quality, responsiveness, and delivering workforce solutions that help healthcare providers meet their evolving workforce needs while supporting clinicians throughout every stage of their careers.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/care-career-announces-acquisition-of-mas-medical-staffing-completing-its-first-acquisition-phase-and-expanding-annual-revenue-beyond-150-million-with-a-path-to-exceed-a-quarter-billion-by-the-end-of-2026-through-additional-acqu-302834472.html

SOURCE Care Career

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PointsKash Demonstrates How Businesses Can Build on Bitcoin Without Burdening the Blockchain

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As industry debate surrounding Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP-110) intensifies, PointsKash unveils an architecture designed to work regardless of the proposal’s outcome.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the global Bitcoin community debates Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110) and the future of data stored on the Bitcoin blockchain, PointsKash, Inc. today announced that its next-generation kiosk infrastructure was intentionally designed to operate efficiently under any outcome of the proposal.

Rather than storing operational data directly on the Bitcoin blockchain, PointsKash utilizes a layered architecture that combines Bitcoin‘s unmatched security with modern decentralized communications technology. Every transaction, machine event, system update, and operational record generated across the PointsKash network is cryptographically verified, securely maintained off-chain, and anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain through a single immutable cryptographic proof.

This approach allows thousands of operational events to be permanently verified while utilizing only a minimal amount of blockchain data.

As discussion surrounding BIP-110 has intensified across the digital asset industry, PointsKash believes the debate does not require choosing between innovation and responsible blockchain stewardship.

“The industry has been debating whether businesses can build meaningful applications on Bitcoin without unnecessarily consuming blockchain space,” said Michael Herron, Chief Executive Officer of PointsKash. “We believe we’ve demonstrated that the answer is yes. Bitcoin provides the world’s most trusted immutable timestamp and security layer, while higher-volume operational data belongs on technologies specifically designed to manage it. By combining both, we’ve built an architecture that is scalable, transparent, and future-ready regardless of how the BIP-110 discussion ultimately evolves.”

The company’s infrastructure assigns every kiosk its own unique cryptographic identity, allowing each machine to securely authenticate every transaction and operational event. Those records are then independently verifiable through cryptographic proofs while remaining resistant to alteration or manipulation—even by PointsKash itself.

According to the company, this architecture delivers several significant advantages:

Mathematically verifiable transaction records for regulators, banking partners, auditors, and enterprise customers.Improved network reliability, allowing kiosks to continue operating during temporary connectivity interruptions without losing transaction history.Enhanced cybersecurity, with every machine maintaining its own authenticated identity and secure communications.A scalable blockchain architecture that minimizes on-chain data while preserving complete auditability.

Bitcoin was created to provide trust, security, and permanence—not to become a storage system for every piece of application data,” Herron added. “Our philosophy has always been simple: use Bitcoin for what it does better than anyone else—creating immutable proof that records have never been altered—and leverage modern decentralized technologies for everything else. We believe that’s the future of enterprise blockchain infrastructure.”

PointsKash believes this architecture positions the company among a new generation of fintech innovators utilizing Bitcoin as a secure trust layer while developing scalable financial applications for enterprise deployment.

The technology also establishes the foundation for future blockchain-based financial products currently under development, including enhanced digital audit capabilities, verifiable financial records, enterprise licensing opportunities, and next-generation digital asset infrastructure.

As the Bitcoin ecosystem continues to mature, PointsKash believes its technology demonstrates that responsible innovation and blockchain scalability can successfully coexist—providing enterprise organizations with the confidence to build on Bitcoin without contributing unnecessary data to the network.

About PointsKash, Inc.

PointsKash, Inc. is a financial technology company developing an integrated ecosystem of AI-enabled self-service financial centers, digital banking, digital payment solutions, cryptocurrency services, loyalty rewards, enterprise merchant technologies, and mobile financial applications. Through proprietary software, Artificial Intelligence, and strategic partnerships, PointsKash is building innovative financial solutions designed to empower consumers, merchants, and enterprise organizations throughout North America.

For more information, visit www.pointskash.com.

Media Contact

PointsKash, Inc.
Investor Relations
info@pointskash.com
www.pointskash.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding anticipated technology integrations, Artificial Intelligence initiatives, product development, future commercialization plans, expected operational efficiencies, business strategy, and future growth. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, technology development timelines, integration efforts, financing, regulatory developments, market conditions, and other risks facing the Company. PointsKash undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pointskash-demonstrates-how-businesses-can-build-on-bitcoin-without-burdening-the-blockchain-302834473.html

SOURCE PointsKash Inc.

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