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TÜV Rheinland Becomes an Approved Laboratory for Fibre Release by The Microfibre Consortium

In June 2020, TÜV Rheinland Textile Testing Laboratories in Shenzhen and Shanghai were approved by The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) to conduct tests for quantifying fibre release from fabrics during domestic laundering. The TMC is an organisation leading in global reduction of microfibres released into our waterways and natural ecosystems. The laboratories can now conduct this testing service for the TMC members. This is a great step forward in the fight to reduce fibre fragmentation throughout the garment supply chain.

Recent studies have revealed that the fibres in our clothes could be poisoning our waterways and food chain on a massive scale. Microfibres – tiny threads shed from fabric – have been found in abundance on shorelines where waste water is released. WRAP, a non profit organisation founded in 2000 promoting methods for sustainable use of resources released “Report of Textile derived microfibre release” in December 2019. The evidence showed that 170,000 tonnes of textile-derived microfibres may be lost during textile processing and production. Another 1,300 tonnes was shed during domestic machine washing and tumble drying, and over 350,000 tonnes resulted as residual waste. While the volume of fibre released during laundry contributes to a relatively low level of fibre loss, the likelihood of this fibre source entering marine ecosystems is significantly higher than other sources.

The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) facilitates the development of practical solutions for the reduction of fibre fragmentation and pollution for the textile industry and supports their members with textile manufacturing needs all the way through the complete product lifecycle. Members range from clothing brands, retailers and manufacturers to research institutions and policy makers, all working toward globally aligned environmentally sustainable solutions. As an approved laboratory, TÜV Rheinland, provides microfibre shedding testing to support in the fashion, sport, outdoor and home textile categories in their reduction of microfibre shedding.


Hung Simon

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About TUV
The TÜV Rheinland is a leading provider of technical services worldwide. Since our foundation in 1872, we have been providing safe and sustainable solutions for the challenges arising from the interaction between man, the environment and technology.As an independent, neutral and professional organization, we are committed to working towards a future that can fulfil the needs of both mankind and the environment in the long term.

About The Microfibre Consortium (TMC)
Founded in November 2018, The Microfibre Consortium now has 40 members from across the outdoor sector, sports, high street, luxury fashion and home textiles, with a combined turnover of over €250 billion. TMC also has a rapidly growing network of research institutions and affiliates from around the world, supporting the consortium’s mission for increased global topic alignment collaboration and research to understand and reduce microfibre pollution.

ESET Research: Mekotio banking trojan fakes security update, steals bitcoins and exfiltrates Google credentials

BRATISLAVA, PRAGUE –  ESET researchers yet again look into notorious Latin American banking trojans. This time they’ve explored Mekotio, a banking trojan targeting Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries: mainly Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Peru and Portugal. Mekotio boasts several typical backdoor activities, including taking screenshots, restarting affected machines, restricting access to legitimate banking websites, and, in some variants, even stealing bitcoins and exfiltrating credentials stored by the Google Chrome browser.

Mekotio has been active since at least 2015 and, as with other banking trojans ESET has investigated, shares common characteristics for this type of malware, such as being written in Delphi, using fake pop-up windows and containing backdoor functionality. To look less suspicious, Mekotio tries to impersonate a security update using a specific message box.

There are many technical details Mekotio is able to access from its victims, including information about the firewall configuration, administrator privileges, the Windows OS version, and a list of anti-fraud products and antimalware solutions installed. One command even tries to cripple the victim’s machine by attempting to remove all files and folders in the C:\Windows tree.

“For researchers, the most notable feature of the newest variants of this malware family is its use of an SQL database as a C&C server and how it abuses the legitimate AutoIt interpreter as its primary method of execution,” elaborates Robert Šuman, the ESET researcher leading the team of investigators focused on Mekotio.

The malware is predominantly distributed via spam. Since 2018, ESET researchers have observed 38 different distribution chains used by this family. Most of these chains consist of several stages and end up downloading a ZIP archive – a well-known behavior of Latin American banking trojans.

“Mekotio has followed a rather chaotic development path, with its features being modified very often. Based on its internal versioning, ESET believes there are multiple variants being developed simultaneously,” adds Šuman.

For more technical details about Mekotio, read the blogpost “Mekotio: These aren’t the security updates you’re looking for…” on WeLiveSecurity. Make sure to follow ESET research on Twitter for the latest news from ESET Research.


Countries affected by Mekotio

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.