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Check Point Ltd Takes Information Security to Next Level
There is no gainsaying that present day structure and pace of corporate life have changed just as the saturation of traditional markets is taking companies to more risky places; the shift towards a knowledge economy is eroding the importance of ‘place’ in the business world; new business practices such as offshoring challenge companies to manage at a distance; and new forms of accountability, such as corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, put added pressure on companies to match their words with deeds, wherever they are operating.
Rachel Briggs and Charlie Edwards writing on, ‘The Business of Resilience Corporate security for the 21st century’, identified that, “security risks have become more complex, too. Many of the threats, such as terrorism, organised crime and information security, are asymmetric and networked, making them more difficult to manage.
“There is also greater appreciation of the interdependence between a company’s risk portfolio and the way it does business: certain types of behaviour can enhance or undermine an organisation’s ‘license to operate’, and in some cases this can generate risks that would not otherwise exist”.
Therefore, it is undisputable that the level of security silhouette in the corporate world today has increased tremendously than five years ago.
“Companies are looking for new ways to manage these risks and the portfolio of the security department has widened to include shared responsibility for things such as reputation, corporate governance and regulation, corporate social responsibility and information assurance,” Wikipedia identified.
Paucity of the problems spurred the minds of intellectuals in Check Point Software Technologies Limited who came up with check point endpoint security. Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos recently, Shmuel Agi, head of Sale, Middle East and Africa, Check Point limited highlighted the challenges companies are facing thus, “As network security improves, criminals are focusing on enterprise endpoints to steal valuable information. Most of corporate laptops and PCs now store proprietary data on their hard drives and many are used regularly outside of the secured environment”.
ICT Brands also gathered how Check Point intend to identify with companies that face hard times when such valuable data are lost, stolen or compromised by Web-based threats, such as drive-by downloads and phishing attacks where laptops can be mined for data or used to penetrate corporate networks and database.
Check Point has is fanning up the trail with her 3D security to defend clients against full spectrum of endpoint attack. How? Check Point recently rolled out her 3D Security vision. It is a redefined 3-dimensional business process that combines policies, people and enforcement for stronger protection across all layers of security—including network, data and endpoints.
“To achieve the level of protection needed in the 21st century, security needs to grow from a collection of disparate technologies to an effective business process. With 3D Security, organizations can now implement a blueprint for security that goes beyond technology to ensure the integrity of all information security.
“Check Point 3D Security enables organizations to redefine security by integrating the 3 following dimensions into a business process: people, policies and enforcement,” said Justice Anyai, security Engineer at Check point.
By policies, the solution supports business needs and transforms security into a business process; it promises security that involves people in policy definition, education and incident remediation; enforce, consolidate and control all layers of security- network, data, application, content and user.
Speaking further, Anyai added that security starts with a widely understood and well-defined policy, closely aligned to business needs and strategies.
Yet, many organizations today do not have such a policy; instead companies rely on a collection of system-level checks and disparate technologies. This can reduce the level of organizational security while increasing the cost of compliance and corporate governance reporting.
“Today’s corporations can now develop a blueprint that supports their corporate and governance needs, while strengthening their information security.
Check Point R75 provides a strong foundation for 3D security in a single, unified solution that promotes the definition of a security policy and process that’s aligned to user and business needs”.
How imperative it is, hence security in this context helps companies invloved to take risks rather than prevent them and should therefore be at the forefront of new business development.
Of course, experts noted six characteristics of alignment between security and the business to include, -The principal role of the security department is to convince colleagues across the business to deliver security through their everyday actions and decisions – not try to do security to or for the company.
-The security department is in the business of change management rather than enforcement and works through trusted social networks of influence.
-Security is there to help the company to take risks rather than prevent them and should therefore be at the forefront of new business development.
-Security constantly responds to new business concerns and, as such, the portfolio of responsibilities and their relative importance will change over time.
Security departments should never stand still or become fixed entities. In many companies today, its role is more concerned with overall corporate resilience than ‘traditional’ security.
-Security is both a strategic and operational activity, and departments must distinguish between these two layers.
-The power and legitimacy of the security department does not come from its expert knowledge, but from its business acumen, people skills, management’s ability and communication expertise.
No wonder Check Point limited dossier that, “users of IT systems are an integral part of the security process. It is often users who make mistakes that result in malware infections and information leakage.
While security should be as seamless and transparent to users as possible, the most effective security is one that engages and educates users on security policy enforcement—as well as their expected behavior when accessing corporate networks and data.
Thus, Check Point R75 plan brings a differentiated, modern approach to security by providing a combination of robust security technology and user awareness.
Check Point’s unique UserCheck technology engages employees in the remediation of potential security incidents and enables IT administrators to tailor policies based on level of risk and user needs.
No just that, the foresight of the software developers could be deduced from the ability of the solution to help companies take proactive steps in enforcing policy than reporting on violations, because network security is about gaining better control over all layers of protection, especially in a world of too many disparate point products, organizations often lose rather than gain control over their security.
With the hype about the tenacity and viability of the solution ICT Brands believes time has come for companies to achieve a higher level of visibility and control by consolidating their security infrastructure and using systems that prevent security incidents rather than just detecting them, particularly now Check Point R75 enables customers to extend the firewall into a multi-function and multi-dimensional gateway that consolidates protection into a single, unified solution.
African Export-Import Bank and Ecobank Group have embarked on a collaboration aimed at simplifying trade and compliance for businesses in Africa by integrating Ecobank’s Single Market Trade Hub and Afreximbank’s MANSA Digital Repository Platform.
With the collaboration, African businesses will benefit from seamless shared services across the two platforms, with users of the Single Market Trade Hub able to easily leverage MANSA’s comprehensive database for efficient know-thy-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD) checks while MANSA platform users would, in turn, be able to directly connect to the Single Market Trade Hub to explore trade opportunities to expand their businesses across Africa.
The Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub connects registered businesses across Africa on a single platform, helping them benefit from opportunities in the unified market of 1.4 billion people created by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
It serves as a one-stop repository for the AfCFTA by providing small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and corporates with insights about the agreement while its online match-making feature enables importers and exporters to upload their profiles and showcase goods and services they offer, or wish to source, with the aim of finding partners within Africa.
Once a match is found, connections are made via the platform and the transaction can be concluded leveraging on Ecobank’s trade and payment solutions in 35 African markets.
The MANSA Digital Repository Platform, or MANSA, is a one-stop-shop for due diligence matters on all African entities. As a centralised digital repository, MANSA seeks to eliminate information asymmetry and to increase intra-African trade and trade with the rest of the world.
It drives and promotes good governance culture among African SMEs and creates visibility for their businesses while also supporting African entities to expand, diversify and add value to their export products at both the local and international levels. Entities onboarded unto MANSA are allotted an Africa Entity Identifier (AEI) code which enables them to leverage other Afreximbank products and initiatives.
MANSA is also a key digital solution at the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) marketplace which houses a suite of digital platforms designed as a single window to enable Afreximbank better deliver on its mandate, providing critical services to support and promote intra-African trade and the implementation of the AfCFTA. The platform enables African entities to accelerate their business activities at the ATG marketplace by working with verified information on trusted counterparties.
The new collaboration is, therefore, enabling Ecobank and Afreximbank to provide a central solution to the key challenge of KYC compliance and access to business across 35 countries in Africa. The improved interoperability is expected to further streamline cross-border trade and compliance in Africa, fostering greater financial and economic integration on the continent.
Afreximbank is a pan-African multilateral financial institution established to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade.
Ecobank Group is a leading private pan-African banking group with unrivalled African expertise.
Leadway Assurance said it has chosen to go beyond risk underwriting to play the role of transformative partner for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The underwriting firm played this role by empowering SMEs with practical strategies on how to navigate risks inherent in Yuletide season.
Leadway recently organized a webinar session for SMEs titled, “Driving Increased Sales During the Festive Season.”
Speaking on the reason for the session, the underwriting firm said it realized that as momentum into the 2024 festive season continued, businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), face paradoxical realities of increased sales opportunities and consequent cocktails of business risks.
It said recognising the fact that with consumer spending and holiday making increasing businesses for SMEs, there were the possibilities of risk from these spikes in commercial activities such as – theft, accidents, burglaries, fire outbreaks, frauds, and system failures.
Against this backdrop Leadway said it has reaffirmed its position as a transformative partner to SMEs by empowering businesses with practical strategies for navigating the complexities of the season.
“This aligns with the brand’s mission to deliver robust risk management and business solutions to bolster economic growth, Head of the Retail Division at Leadway, Umashime Oguzor-Doghro said.
As connected to insurance, Oguzor-Doghro said: “Insurance was often seen as a reactive tool, but at Leadway, we position it as a strategic asset. With our competitive risk management solutions—spanning property, transit, and employee coverage, we enable businesses to operate with confidence, knowing they are protected from the unforeseen.
What sets us apart is our free advisory service, which ensures businesses are fully equipped before they even take up our insurance products.” he added.
In addition to risk management, Oguzor- Doghro said the webinar championed collaboration as a catalyst for success, adding that Leadway’s partnerships with event managers and SME stakeholders aim to ensure seamless operations during the festive season, reinforcing the company’s role as more than just an insurer but a reliable business ally.
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, MTN Group Fintech and Arifu have partnered to support about one million small businesses in Cote’ D’Ivoire and Uganda, to digitize their operations, increase the use of digital financial services and access digital marketplaces through the MoMo Coach chatbot.
This program, part of the Center’s global Mastercard Strive initiative, aims to enhance the resilience and growth of small businesses by providing essential digital skills. It is one of the ways Mastercard Strive has disseminated chatbot-ready business building content for small businesses in the region, which is currently also available in Kenya and Nigeria.
Small businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, especially those impacted by the pandemic, have faced significant barriers in adopting digital tools. As of December 2022, only 27.65% of businesses in sub-Saharan Africa had adopted digital tools to enhance their efficiency, showing a slight improvement from 19.44% in August 2020. A lack of relevant skills continues to limit their growth and access to essential financial services. MoMo Coach addresses these gaps by providing free, accessible upskilling content via popular messaging platforms.
Supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and delivered by Caribou Digital, this program equips small businesses with digital skills, enabling them to adopt digital tools, access capital, and engage more effectively in digital marketplaces. The program aligns with Mastercard Strive’s broader goal of reaching 18 million small businesses around the world to go digital, get capital, and access networks and know-how.
“Small businesses are vital to Africa’s growth and create opportunities for a more resilient and inclusive regional economy. We are delighted to catalyze a partnership between MTN Group Fintech and Arifu to equip almost one million small business owners with the digital skills and knowledge essential for thriving in an increasingly digital economy, setting them up for success.” said Subhashini Chandran, Senior Vice President of Social Impact for Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa
The MoMo Coach solution, powered by Arifu’s Grasp Platform, uses mobile messaging to deliver micro-learning experiences. It is accessible across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, SMS and MoMo. This gives small business owners and entrepreneurs flexibility in accessing practical, actionable tips to unlock growth opportunities in the digital economy.
Serigne Dioum, CEO of MTN Group Fintech, further adds: “Empowering small businesses with digital skills is key to driving inclusive growth in Africa. Through MoMo Coach, we are unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital economy, strengthening communities, and shaping the future of business across the continent.”
The program has been rolled out in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, reaching over 930,000 MTN customers, merchants, and agents, with more than 75,000 small business owners accessing free digital courses and over 45,000 actively engaging with MoMo Coach. Courses offered include “How to Start Your Business,” “Money Management,” and “Grow and Secure Your Business.” These courses are based on insights derived from MoMo merchants and agents, and they address key challenges like affordability and access to relevant business knowledge—enabling small business owners to navigate the digital landscape.
Aminata, a 31-year-old business owner from Gôh-Djiboua, Côte d’Ivoire, is one of the many beneficiaries of MoMo Coach. Selling shoes and clothing since 2022, she says: “There’s a lot of competition, but MoMo Coach helps me sell better. Before, I used all my profits to buy new stock, which left me using my capital for expenses. Now, I split my profits: one part for business growth, another for expenses, and some savings for other projects.” She has also started using WhatsApp to increase her sales, noting: “My income has increased. When I post my goods, I sell more.”
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