E-Business
Disregard Proper RIM & Fail, RIMA Tells Government, Institutions
Any government or institution that fails to adhere to proper records and information management should start thinking of winding up, especially, in the current dispensation of information explosion.
This is one of the key messages the Records and Information Management (RIMA) Foundation as it prepares to host the tenth edition of the annual conference and exposition come November 13-15, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji, RIMA president, said that the importance of information management cannot be overemphasized as records and information are essential for the effective and productive functioning of private and public organizations.
Making reference to World Bank report, he said, “Without a records management infrastructure, governments and organizations are incapable of effectively managing current operations, and have no ability to use the experience of the past for guidance. Records are inextricably entwined with increased transparency, accountability and good governance.”
Oyedokun said that the trend-records and information management industry in Nigeria and Africa- has recorded tremendous growth in the last one decade.
He said that the awareness campaign has penetrated far and wide, as a good number of organizations are already conscious of the need for proper information management.
However, the RIMA president said, “There is still a lot to be done and the need for government involvement to be more prominent in promoting transparency, accountability, and access to information”.
Giving account of stewardship, he said “RIMA Foundation, in the last one decade has developed the platform for development of the Information Management and Security (IMS) Industry in Africa, with involvement in different collaborative activities with different local and international organisations on information management and security awareness campaign in our resolve to ensure that the industry in Africa is able to meet up with global standard, which is also expected to engender both investments and employment opportunities in the continent.
“In 2010, the foundation was among a thirteen (13) man committee inaugurated by the Lagos State Government for the formulation of the State’s Archive and Records Management Policy. The foundation has also worked with the records and information management community in other parts of Africa, including South Africa and has facilitated at the South African, Archives and Records Management conference on a number of occasions.
“The theme for the 2014 event is “A decade of Information Management awareness in Africa: Challenges and Prospects” . Other issues expected to be addressed at RIMACE 2014 include the Impact of Health Information Management on the Ebola Epidemic and many more”.
“Key stakeholders (Professionals & Practitioners) from corporations, Banks, Insurance, Oil & Gas, Government, Law enforcement will be attending the 2014 event. Attendees will among other things be able to learn and compare concepts, solutions and meet suppliers with an opportunity to discuss and share best practices with industry experts and existing users.
“The one day conference will start with a keynote presentation, followed by a number of parallel exposition and solution centre track. RIMACE 2014 Expo, still remains the only place where end users can truly assess the latest products and services from all the major information management, security and technology players in a face-to-face environment.
“The Expo will open all day to allow vendors and exhibitors showcase solutions that facilitate effective information management and security, business processes management, improve productivity and enhance collaboration in today’s organization. There will also be opportunity to network and develop relationships with exhibitors who are looking to expand their channel presence in Nigeria and Africa.
“The second day of the event will feature the premiere beauty pageant in the Information Management / Technology Industry aimed at providing a platform for the female folks with the opportunity to showcase their intellectual abilities, empowering them through various Records / Information Management and Technology related trainings and certifications.
“Day three of the event will start with the Institute of Information Management Induction of new members and fellows of the Institute into the various membership grades which include Associate, Professional, Senior Professional, Fellow, Honorary Fellow, and Corporate Membership Grade.
“The awards, which will mark the climax of the workshop and exhibition, will be given to individuals and corporate organizations for their achievements, activities, contributions and involvement in promoting the records and information management industry.
“RIMA Awards are fiercely contested and highly valued within the RIM, IS, IT and business world. They are a showcase for individuals and organisations that have demonstrated the vision and the business skills in implementing new technology that ensures real business benefits.
He added that the Awards clearly demonstrate that the business proposition for deploying new technology is very sound, as evidenced by the number of well-conceived and highly successful products and projects submitted as entries each year.
“The conference will provide attendees with unique opportunities to meet leading information management, security and technology solution providers and agencies like LASRAB, Petrodata, Havilah, MZ Consulting, Conceil, IQSS, Busicon Nigeria Limited, Xerox Nigeria, Rabonni, Docudata, Young-Bailey, Templeton Business Consulting, Computer Warehouse, EMC-Nigeria, Oracle, Golden Scepter, LWAZi South Africa, Montgomery Vault, Dataflex, Kontemporary, Calm Global Information Technologies Ltd, GIT, Programos Software Group, CDSS, Hisplus Systems and so many other local and International solution providers”.
He extended interest individuals and organizations are hereby invited to participate as sponsors, exhibitors, supporter of the events.
He extended calls to intending exhibitors, supporters and sponsors to seize the opportunity to boost the image of the industry and showcase their products.
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Kaspersky has detected a rapidly escalating malicious campaign that has targeted over 1,100 corporate users since June 2025. The attackers pose as a legal firm and in their emails threaten recipients with lawsuits over alleged domain name patent violations, aiming to deploy malware.
Victims who opened and launched the attached files – that mimicked legal documents – had a Trojan installed on their devices, and the attackers could spy on the content of their screens. Organisations across healthcare, finance, and education sectors have been targeted.
The campaign began with 95 emails on June 11 and has since continued to escalate. Apart from claiming that the recipient’s domain name violates patented combinations of a major brand and threatening litigation, in the email the fake legal bureau also expresses the patent holders’ interest in acquiring the domain and offers getting acquainted with the details of the alleged violations by opening the attached archive with “documents”.
It is worth noting that the attackers, likely to avoid detection, attach an archive that is not password protected, and inside it includes another archive that is password protected and a file containing the password along with it.
After the user entered the archive password and clicked on the alleged legal document inside, a Trojan was installed on the device. The user saw a message displayed that read, “This document cannot be opened on this device. Try opening it on another windows device,” and simultaneously the Tor Browser was covertly downloaded and installed in the background.
Through it, the malware regularly sent snapshots of the user’s screen to the attackers over the Tor network. The malware also autostarts whenever the computer is restarted.
“This campaign is a sophisticated blend of psychological manipulation and technical deception, leveraging fear of legal action to coerce businesses into executing harmful files hidden in attached archives. Its rapid growth since June 11 underscores the urgency for organisations to bolster defenses.
Victims face the risk of losing their private data. Robust email security, employee training, and swift incident reporting are essential to counter this evolving threat,” comments Anna Lazaricheva, spam analyst at Kaspersky.
In a sobering revelation of the evolving threat landscape facing the digital asset ecosystem, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs has disclosed that over $2.1 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen in the first half of 2025 alone, spanning at least 75 high-profile hacks and exploits.
This staggering figure marks a 10 per cent surge over the previous first-half record set in 2022 and nearly eclipses the total stolen in all of 2024.
But beyond the monetary scale, the report reveals a deeper concern: a growing trend of state-sponsored cyber aggression weaponising crypto assets for strategic and geopolitical purposes.
The most devastating breach to date occurred in February when Dubai-based exchange Bybit lost $1.5 billion—the largest crypto heist in history.
TRM Labs attributes the attack to North Korean state actors, noting that the incident alone accounted for nearly 70 percent of total losses during the period and doubled the average hack size to $30 million.
“The Bybit hack redefined the threat landscape,” the report stated.
“It exemplifies how digital asset theft has transcended criminal opportunism and morphed into a tool of statecraft.”
Indeed, North Korea-linked entities were responsible for an estimated $1.6 billion of the total stolen, further entrenching Pyongyang’s status as the most prolific nation-state threat actor in the crypto sphere.
Yet the menace is diversifying. On June 18, Iranian crypto exchange Nobitex was breached for over $90 million by a group reportedly linked to Israel, Gonjeshke Darande (Predatory Sparrow).
Unusually, the stolen funds were routed to unusable vanity addresses, underscoring symbolic and political motives rather than financial gain.
TRM Labs flagged this as a “disturbing shift,” with digital asset theft increasingly deployed as a weapon in asymmetric geopolitical conflict.
The report also found that more than 80 percent of losses stemmed from infrastructure breaches, including private key theft, seed phrase leaks, and front-end compromises— attacks typically ten times costlier than other vectors.
Meanwhile, DeFi exploits such as flash loan manipulations accounted for 12 percent of losses, reflecting persistent smart contract vulnerabilities despite years of scrutiny.
As digital currencies become enmeshed in global rivalries, TRM Labs warns that conventional cybersecurity approaches are now inadequate.
“Massive breaches, often tied to nation-state operations, require a new defence paradigm,” the firm asserted, urging industrywide adoption of advanced safeguards and cross-border collaboration among regulators and law enforcement.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has inaugurated the pilot take-off of its new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered registration portal.
A statement issued by the commission explained that Malam Hussaini Magaji, registrar-general of the CAC, made the announcement during the 2025 Stakeholders Forum in Port Harcourt.
According to him, “the initiative is a major milestone in Nigeria’s business facilitation drive.”
The Registrar further explained that the upgraded portal marks a complete overhaul of the Company Registration Portal (CRP), saying that it comes with advanced features designed to simplify and speed up business registration.
The new system, according to him, allows for instant name reservation approvals, likening the ease to creating an email account, and stressing that the AI-powered platform could suggest available alternatives to business names and approve them immediately.
Another innovation, he stated, is the ability to register a business using only the National Identification Number (NIN) of a director or proprietor, pointing out that there is an ambitious target of completing business registration and certificate generation within 30 minutes, subject to real-time NIN validation.
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