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Cyber Awareness Trainer Says Nigeria Needs to Step Up Cyber Security

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Cyber security has taken a front burner and has been among the biggest challenges facing the world today. It featured prominently in the recently concluded elections in the United States of Americas well as in the Gulf States brawl, where Qatar claimed that its server was hacked and an inappropriate content was then pushed out.

Away from the way cyber security affects nations, businesses and individuals across the world are not left out as, every day, thousands of online accounts get compromised, one way or the other.

I was with Helen George, Cyber Security Awareness Trainer, a while ago and we had an interesting discussion on ways in which Nigeria can work towards keeping our cyber space safe.

Helen is definitely not satisfied with the current state of Nigeria’s cyber security.

She is of the view that we are in the 21st century and Nigeria is still behaving as if we are in the Stone Age as far as cyber security is concerned, so, we need to step it up. She stated that we do not know whether or not Nigeria was affected by the recent Wanacry cyber-attack because we do not have a good recording system.

“If we had a good recording system, if we had a good incidence response system in the country, we will know whether we are affected or not”, she opined.

One of Helen’s advice to individuals and businesses regarding cyber security is to have an Anti-virus installed on their computers and she considers this very crucial. She also said that online users should take advantage of 30 days free Anti-virus offers of most Anti-virus platforms.

“You can, then, choose to either continue with them or sign up with another Anti-virus outfit after the expiration of the 30 free usage days”, she stated. Helen also advised the changing of Passwords often. One other advice she gave, was that people should create Guest Login on their computers to prevent just about anyone from gaining access to their files. She also, advocated for the installation of Firewall as well as making sure that all software applications are up to date.

“This is where a lot of organisations fail. People just think that, once they have the software, they are god to go. You have to update. You have to make sure that your workers, your employees , that they are aware of these consequences that follows them leaving their computers unlocked or the inserting of just any USB into their computer”, she emphasized.

Helen stated that there is a way one can completely lock down his/her computer’s USB connectors so that, not just anyone can have access to inserting a USB in that computer and this is a very good idea to follow. 

She advised that each organization should have a good CMB, (Change Management Board). “Before anything is done on your system, you make sure that you go through proper a Change Management System, where every member of the organization will sit to discuss how the change will affect each system. This will be based on the roles being played by each member of the team”, she reiterated.

When asked to compare how cyber-attacks is dealt with in the USA and in Nigeria, Helen made it known that there was no basis for comparison. “In the US, once there is a kind of outbreak or compromise in an organization, you report that breach”, she stated.  She also said that there is coordination for research into solutions to breaches, vulnerabilities and future possibilities, especially, on what to do to mitigate the breaches or to better address it or prevent these from happening.

Helen was, however, emphatic in saying that there is no privacy in Nigeria. She stated that, even, an ordinary man, walking down the street does not know the meaning of privacy. “You want to have a conversation that involves your banking details, that involves your personal life and you are there on the phone, shouting about it?”, she retorted.

She explained that, with you exposing your bank details, gives anyone around with an ulterior motive, to trail you until they hit you and steal from you.

She stated that, people’s data are also not secured with third parties that require such details, such as the banks. “I went to a bank and while I was filling out my form, I was looking at other people’s data on the table. I could easily bring out my phone and take pictures of those other people’s data. That is a huge vulnerability out there and these vulnerabilities can be exploited”, she opined. She stated that. it is easy to assume other people’s identities that way and get away with it, e.g., using another person’s data to obtain a Driver’s License or even, taking a bank loan!

You can have as many privacy policies as possible, but if they are not enforced by the people that created them, it is useless she concluded.

CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television


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StarNews, Global Black Economic Forum Launch Business Competition In Partnership with MTN & USAID

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Africa’s leading video streaming platform, StarNews Mobile and the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF), have announced a call for applications for the launch of their Business Competition in Lagos, Nigeria.

Held in partnership with MTN and United Nations Agency for International Development (USAID), the initiative will empower Nigeria’s most promising businesses that are classified as Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with invaluable investment and partnership opportunities from the USA.

Held over 10 weeks between April 8th to June 14th, hosted exclusively on the StarNews Biz Channel on the StarNews platform, this competition offers a platform for emerging entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures and gain national visibility.

With subscribers voting for their favourite candidates, the top 20 contestants will seize the spotlight and make their mark on the business landscape.

The StarNews Business Competition in partnership with GBEF delivers a unique opportunity for thriving Nigerian SMEs to access mentoring, funding, partnerships and socio-economic development tools through the Global Black Economic Forum.

With the prospect of securing cash prizes through StarNews worth up to NGN5,000,000, getting access to StarNews’s network of investors and the opportunity to gain national visibility by having their business on the StarNews web platform.

The top three winners will also receive coaching from GBEF’s Academy for Advancing Excellence and become part of GBEF’s ecosystem of global leaders committed to social and economic justice across the Black Diaspora.

Previous speakers at GBEF convenings from the entertainment sector include Wyclef Jean (Haitian Musician & Activist), Debra Lee (Former CEO of Black Entertainment Television – BET) and Ceci Kurzman (Founder of Nexus Management Group). Applications will close on April 5th 2024.

Speaking on the competition’s launch, Guy Kamgaing, Founder and CEO at StarNews Mobile, says “The StarNews Business Competition is a passion project close to our hearts at StarNews Mobile.

It’s about discovering the most promising business entrepreneurs and creators in Nigeria, opening up global opportunities for them and providing them with the resources and tools to achieve their goals.

By partnering with MTN, USAID and GBEF, we want to be a platform of empowerment for these SMEs by helping them give back to the communities that are supporting them.”

According to the US Embassy and Consulate for Nigeria, over 80% of Nigerian startups are incorporated in the United States and more than 60% of venture capital funding in Nigerian startups accounted for by the US.

In 2023 alone, Nigerian startups raised a total of $398mn however, this signalled a 66% funding decline compared to 2022 due to the global economic downturn, reinforcing the massive need for a fresh injection of capital and business support for Nigeria’s emerging SMEs.

Alphonso David, President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum notes that, “Our partnership with StarNews Mobile is a critical resource as we continue to build the collective strength of entrepreneurship across the Diaspora.

“Building a sustainable ecosystem of Black entrepreneurs in the United States and across the African continent is essential to create a future that makes economic opportunity and economic freedom a reality for all.”

A sister company to ESSENCE, GBEF advances its work by convening global summits and conferences, bringing together world leaders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, celebrities and civic leaders to address the most challenging problems facing our communities.

GBEF’s Academy for Advancing Excellence facilitates workforce and leadership development strategy, addressing the talent pipeline & employee lifecycle, providing leadership development & coaching, and conducting institutional assessments & research.

GBEF also develops and implements economic and social justice policy recommendations with partners ranging from civil and human rights organisations to government entities and corporations that advocate for economic opportunity, social justice, and health equity through thought leadership, advocacy and litigation.

Launched in 2017, StarNews Mobile empowers African content creators with the unique opportunity to monetize their work through a subscription model, boasting over 4 million subscribers and a thriving community of more than 120 content creators.

With a strong presence across six countries including Cameroon, Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire, Congo, Benin and Ghana, the platform has also established key partnerships with major telecom operators such as MTN and Orange.

To-date, StarNews Mobile has secured over $8mn in funding with its most recent raise – a $3mn pre-Series A funding round in October 2023 – led by Janngo Capital with participation from French football players Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jules Koundé and Mike Maignan.

 


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Companies Invest More than $100,000 Yearly to Upskill their Cybersecurity Teams – Study Reveals

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Over 70% of businesses pay more than USD $100,000 for additional training annually to keep skills of their cybersecurity employees up to date, a recent global Kaspersky study has revealed.

However, the surveyed companies also highlighted that there was a lack of relevant courses covering new challenging spheres in the educational market and stated that training does not always bring them the expected result.

In its recent study ‘The portrait of the modern Information Security professional’, Kaspersky examined the topic of the global cybersecurity staff shortage, analysing the exact reasons businesses lack cybersecurity experts, and identifying the ways they evaluate and upskill their cybersecurity workforce¹.

According to the research, companies are investing significant amounts in upskilling their cybersecurity teams: 43% of organisations globally say they usually spend between $100,000 and $200,000 per year on information security courses, while 31% even invest over $200,000 for training programs. The remaining 26% state they usually pay less than $100,000 for educational initiatives².

However, cybersecurity practitioners also note that the educational market is struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing industry and fail to deliver the necessary training programs on time.

Survey results for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa (META) region shows that the scarcity of courses covering new challenging spheres (48%) was the main problem for those searching for cybersecurity training.

50% of respondents from the META region also stated that trainees tend to forget what they learned because they had no opportunity to apply newly acquired knowledge, therefore the courses were useless to them.

The need for special training pre-requisites such as coding and advanced mathematics, which were not specified at the pre-registration stage were also problematic for 37% of practitioners from the META region.

“With a constantly evolving threat landscape, businesses should continually improve the skills of their cybersecurity personnel in order to be well prepared for sophisticated cyberattacks.

“Developing high-profile specialists within the company and building internal expertise can be an effective strategy for organisations that aim to retain existing employees and allow them to grow professionally, instead of constantly hunting for new candidates and checking their professional backgrounds and practical skills.

“For organisations served by Managed Service Providers it is also important to maintain a pretty high level of expertise internally and use the same language when discussing the scope of services and Service Level Agreement with them,” comments Veniamin Levtsov, VP, Center of Corporate Business Expertise at Kaspersky.


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Heirs Insurance Launches User-friendly Website for Stakeholders

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Heirs Insurance Group, Nigeria’s fastest growing insurance group, has launched a new website that delivers the most user-friendly insurance experience in the industry.

Heirs Insurance Launches User-friendly Website for Stakeholders

In addition to its features that aid simple navigation, the website also personalizes the insurance experience taking customers through a short journey that enables them to make decisions quickly on the best insurance plan to support their personal and business success, or access competent insurance advisors to speak with.

According to Ifesinachi Okpagu, chief marketing officer, Heirs Insurance Group, the website, www.heirs insurance group.com, embodies the ethos of the brand: the delivery of simple, quick, and accessible insurance service that delights customers and brings the uninsured much closer to taking up insurance plans.

She said: “Today’s customers want simplicity and this new website delivers on that request, ensuring that people find the right insurance solutionsfor their needs in a few minutes. We are empowering customers to take control of their lives, their businesses, assets, and their most cherished people.” Heirs Insurance Group has been at the forefront of pioneering a new era of insurance solutions since its launch with the roll-out of various initiatives including a seamless mobile app, USSD; Prince, its intuitive chatbot; InConnect, its partnership portal Digital Experience Centre; and more. With the launch of this website, Heirs Insurance Group solidifies its position as the leading digital insurance company in Nigeria, democratising access to insurance for all.


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