Telecom
Fraudsters Target Phone OTA in New Trick
A security expert has warned of possible attacks targeted at mobile phone users via the telecommunication operators Over-The-Air (OTA) settings, so called various methods of distributing new software updates, configuration settings, and even updating encryption keys to devices like cellphones.
Mr. Rock Adoke, head of IT (security & Research), International Electronics Services Limited, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that with the growing trend in e-commerce cumulated in e-payment, e-banking, internet banking, fraudsters are throwing spanners on the OTAs of notable telecommunication companies in Nigeria targeting passwords and other credentials of phone users.
In the context of the mobile content world the programming involves over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP), over-the-air provisioning (OTAP) or over-the-air parameter administration (OTAPA), or provisioning handsets with the necessary settings with which to access services such as WAP or MMS or other internet configurations.
Thus, some phones with this capability are labeled as being “OTA capable.”
“Now, the challenge, let us look at the scenario where you remove the SIM card from your phone and insert it in a new phone, the network operator sends internet settings to you. We are looking at the financial institution (FI) level; when that setting is going on it can be compromised, just like the bulk SMS. There are securities issues with these platforms. Fraudsters can impersonate anybody and send messages using bulk SMS platform. There is why unsolicited messages are rising by the day. When they send it to over a million people, hundred or thereabout respond, they have captured over N100,00 million.
“Back to the settings, there are only four vendors we subscribe to when we want to conduct vulnerability assessment on information systems. SMS gives you the ability for Over-The-Air (OTA) settings; that is what telecom operators send to the subscribers. It is a system that companies use to safeguard against staff using social media while incorporating Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) platform.
The setting allows you have access to the internet at a point in time. What the fraudsters do is to OTA settings which is not more than N300, send out messages to people and they respond in droves. The idea has been that once you see that setting it is from a valid telecom operator, because we use it to browse”.
He said that cyber criminals are cashing on telecom operators over the air positioning space.
“When they have succeeded in setting the proxy account whatever the target is doing will be passing through their channels. That is what they call “over the air positioning exploits”. Let the target use it for any bank transaction, they will see the user name and password through “factor authentication”. These things are real.
He warned about unguided and unsecured channels been deployed for e-commerce related transaction in the country adding when, “You are now encouraging people to use mobile commerce, by the time this goes into full-blown maturity, criminals start conducting sophisticated attacks (because things happen without user interaction), the target does not even know he is compromised. It takes a smart criminal to remove just N1 per day. When your account has been compromised they go to the modification channel and modify the password and your numbers. These are the trends in cyber attacks”.
Hotspot, Nigerian last-mile connectivity and tower operator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium led by Clear Blue Technologies, solar-power company to deploy 312 solar powered mobile sites across Nigeria.
Under the deal signed earlier this week at Mobile World Congress 2025, the sites will feature Clear Blue’s Illumience Smart Power solar solution designed for telecoms infrastructure.
The Clear Blue consortium also includes Empower New Energy, which provides clean energy project financing across Africa, and Netis, which specialises in operating and managing telecom infrastructure and will the installation, operations, and maintenance services for the project.
Miriam Tuerk, CEO, Clear Blue, said the consortium has the expert skills and capabilities to quickly design, build and operate the network, solar power and tower sites.
“As everyone active in the telecom market in Africa is aware, it is a difficult operating environment with challenging TCO targets. And yet, it is probably the largest untapped telecom market in the world with significant growth potential”, said, Morenikeji Aniye, CEO, Hotspot.
“Clear Blue brings an innovative technology and service capability which, together with an innovative business model and structure, enables us to deploy and operate these sites while meeting stringent service and TCO targets.”
Clear Blue noted that the deal is subject to final contract negotiations and signatures.
Assuming everything goes according to plan, Hotspot will roll out the solar-powered sites at the end of this year.
Technology company, Globacom, has been experiencing substantial increase in the adoption of its Bulk Data services by enterprise clients. This surge reinforces the appeal of Glo’s innovative data solution among corporate organizations, schools, and tertiary institutions.
Glo’s Bulk Data offering is a user-friendly self-service portal that enables enterprise customers to gift data to other customers. This feature allows sponsors to allocate specific data amounts for free navigation of mobile apps or websites, with the sponsor covering the costs.
The service is particularly beneficial for educational institutions, which can purchase the Schools’ Bucket Data plan for students’ academic usage, valid for 90 days.
The Gifted Data Plan on its part, is available for a 30 days validity and offers flexibility, allowing sponsors to gift data to multiple Glo subscribers in various sizes, ranging from 200MB to 10GB, depending on the Pack the Gifting customer has subscribed to.
Sponsors can also customize SMS notifications to beneficiaries, setting Glo’s product apart from others in the market. Beneficiaries can easily check their balance by dialing *127*0# on their devices.
Glo’s Bulk Data service has become an attractive solution for enterprise clients seeking efficient data management, thanks to its flexibility, customization options, and user-friendly features.
The Bulk Data service is designed specifically for bulk data buyers, including corporate entities, schools, and tertiary institutions.
MTN Nigeria, one of Africa’s leading ICT companies, has partnered with automobile giants, Nord and GAC Motors to reinforce its commitment to its local content policy and support made in Nigeria products.
MTN
This partnership involved the procurement of a combined total of 33 cars for MTN’s customer-facing teams in Lagos and the North, including 22 locally assembled vehicles from Nord and GAC Motors, highlighting a strong commitment to local manufacturing. The additional purchase of 11 other cars further strengthened this operational initiative. These cars, essential tools of trade, play a key role in MTN’s customer engagement strategy, allowing their teams to commute to the field easily to deliver on targets.
In July 2021, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) established the Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NIDOTS), an office charged with the primary responsibility of ensuring the promotion of indigenous content in the Nigerian telecoms sector, through the enforcement of the Nigerian National Local Content Policy. This national policy serves as the framework for MTN’s local content commitments, supporting the Nigerian Federal Government in developing sustainable local societies, while championing digital and financial inclusion.
At a handover ceremony held at MTN’s Lagos Headquarters, Lynda Saint Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, expatiated on MTN’s content policy and the relevance of this partnership. “At MTN, we maintain a stance on promoting local content development in Nigeria by enabling local supply chains through local procurement.”
Saint Nwafor further detailed how this partnership supports MTN’s logistics model: “We had some challenges over the years. The logistics model we initially wanted to adopt didn’t work, so we had to revert to the old model.
“This model allows our sales and client success teams to better commute to customer locations.”
MTN Nigeria remains committed to creating shared value and playing a positive and meaningful role in creating a sustainable and inclusive country.
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