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IBM Unveils New Enterprise Intelligence Analytics to Fight Cybercrime as Losses Hit $445Bn

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(l-r) Adam Koooloski, IBM Distinguished Engineer and CTO, Cloudant, an IBM company and Inhi Cho Suh, VP, IBM Big Data, Integration and Governance after Fireside Chat; an inside look at building and using Watson Analytics at the ongoing insight 2014 in Las Vegas, USA yesterday
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IBM has unboxed a new solution that provides deep analysis across hundreds of terabytes of disparate data to uncover hidden criminal activity in just seconds.

The solution unveiled at the ongoing IBM Insight 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA is a high-speed analysis and criminal investigation software that is designed to uncover hidden criminal threats buried deep inside massive volumes of disparate corporate data.

IBM i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis (EIA) can find non-obvious relationships masked within hundreds of terabytes of data and trillions of objects in just seconds.

By fusing together these multiple data sources, organizations can gain complete visibility into threats across the enterprise, giving companies the ability to transform how they protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Organizations across industries face endless threats from cybercrime and other criminals in pursuit of private customer information, employee records, financial data and intellectual property.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that cybercrime costs the global economy $445 billion each year.

But companies are overwhelmed with an increasing volume and diversity of data to protect, giving cybercriminals the ability to hide their covert activity for months after an attack.

The proliferation of connected devices and machines – from mobile phones to smart cars to remote oil rigs – only compounds the problem by opening new avenues for criminals to penetrate the enterprise.

Operating at high speeds and massive scale, i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis accelerates the data-to-decision process by uncovering new insights into criminal threats against the enterprise that intelligence and security analysts might otherwise not have realized for days, weeks or months later. EIA analyzes huge amounts of disparate data to discover weak-signal relationships that reveal the true nature and source of an attack.

The solution unravels these hidden connections that can be divided by as many as six degrees of separation between disparate sources – from corporate records and social media chatter to data accessed by remote sensors and third-party applications.

As developments unfold, EIA provides always-on recommendations that proactively alert analysts to new related abnormalities at the speed of attack.

For example, consider a national retailer that hasn’t yet realized hundreds of its customers’ credit card account numbers have been stolen and sold on the black market.

Any illegal transactions can be easily lost in the noise of typical day-to-day activity – such as a transaction denial, a billing dispute or multiple purchases at the same store.

But when connected together, EIA can immediately spot commonalities that reveal the specific store branches that were breached.

This insight allows the retailer to take action before millions of accounts are compromised and any significant damage is done.

“Organizations can’t afford to take a reactive approach to cyber defense, nor can they do it alone. The speed of threat is too great, and today’s attackers are far more technically advanced, proficient and organized than ever,” said Maria Vello, president and CEO of The National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA), a non-profit role model organization for collaboration, information and resource sharing between public and private organizations in the fight against cybercrime.

“Threat analysts and investigators need the ability to look at every possible data set and relationship – no matter how distant or unrelated they may seem – and be able to make key associations and correlations in seconds. The new IBM i2 offering is an impressive tool in its ability to quickly analyze these massive data sets in near real time to paint a complete picture of the threat.”

Built on IBM Power Systems, IBM i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis can complement existing security or fraud solutions with additional features, such as:

Enhanced visualization capabilities: With multi-dimensional visual analytics, investigators can gain a better understanding of an attack by visualizing a comprehensive situational overview of all possible related elements for a more easily digestible viewpoint.

Open, modular architecture that scales as needs change: IBM i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis is fully customizable with fast integration with third-party applications and features, such as natural language processing and complementary analytics at the tactical, operational and strategic levels.
    
Interoperability inside and outside the organization: The open design not only integrates with existing infrastructure and other apps  but also allows users to easily share critical threat information across the company and with partners, customers and other organizations.
    
Out-of-the-box functionality: Out-of-box functionality reduces the training, maintenance and deployment costs while allowing organizations to quickly begin protecting their infrastructure.

“While most organizations understand how big data can help prevent the ever increasing threat of cybercrime, they are so overwhelmed by massive data volumes that they can’t act fast enough to turn it into meaningful intelligence to stop criminals,” said Bob Griffin, General Manager, i2, Threat and Counter Fraud, IBM.

“With IBM i2 Enterprise Insight Analysis, we’ve changed the ability of investigators to find that illusive needle in a haystack that helps them detect a cyber attack. This provides any organization with always-on analytics that turns massive amounts of data into real-time insights in a way that simply wasn’t possible before.”

IBM has established the world’s deepest portfolio of Big Data and Analytics technology that spans research and development, solutions and software. IBM has invested $24 billion to build its capabilities in Big Data and Analytics through R&D and more than 30 acquisitions. Today, more than 15,000 analytics consultants, 6,000 industry solution business partners and 400 IBM mathematicians are helping clients use big data to transform their organizations.


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South Korea Joins List of Countries Banning DeepSeek over Security Concerns

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South Korean authorities have temporarily blocked new downloads of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) app, citing concerns over the company’s handling of user data.

South Korea Joins List of Countries Banning DeepSeek over Security Concerns

The country’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) announced the decision on Monday, saying that the Chinese AI startup had failed to fully comply with South Korea’s data protection laws.

According to PIPC, DeepSeek recently appointed legal representatives in South Korea and admitted to partially neglecting regulatory considerations regarding user privacy.

“The Chinese startup appointed legal representatives last week in South Korea and had acknowledged partially neglecting considerations of the country’s data protection law,” the PIPC said.

The commission added that the app’s service would resume once the company implements improvements in accordance with national privacy laws.

According to Reuters, when asked about South Korea’s move, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said the Chinese government prioritises data privacy and security, ensuring compliance with legal standards.

The spokesperson also said China does not require companies or individuals to collect or store data in violation of laws.

The ban follows similar actions by other governments.

On February 4, Australia prohibited the use of DeepSeek on government devices due to security concerns.

Italy’s privacy regulator recently blocked the AI service, citing the company’s failure to address data policy issues.

Taiwan has also warned about potential risks related to cross-border data transmission and information leaks.

Also, regulators in Ireland and France have launched investigations into DeepSeek’s data-handling practices.

DeepSeek gained global adoption for its advanced human-like reasoning capabilities and open-source model.

In January, it surpassed OpenAI’s Chatgpt as the most downloaded free app on the Apple store.

 

 


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AU Endorses Nigeria as AfCFTA Digital Trade Champion

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The African Union (AU) has officially designated Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol, citing the country’s leadership in digital enterprise and innovation.

The endorsement came at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which concluded on Sunday in Addis Ababa.

Nigeria’s proactive role in advancing the digital trade protocol, adopted in February 2024, was a key factor in the decision.

The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol encompasses eight annexes covering crucial areas such as rules of origin, digital identities, cross-border data transfers, online safety, and financial technology. The protocol is expected to provide a robust framework for Africa’s digital economy.

According to a statement issued on Monday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, former President of Niger Republic and AU AfCFTA Champion, Mahamadou Issoufou, praised Nigeria’s leadership, particularly for convening the Digital Economy Roundtable in January.

“No organization, region, or continent has negotiated or adopted such a comprehensive legal instrument on digital trade, positioning the African continent to benefit from the digital economy for innovation and job creation,” Issoufou said in his progress report to the AU Assembly.

He also highlighted Africa’s growing influence in digital innovation, particularly in mobile banking and financial technology, and noted that the protocol would create an enabling environment for young African entrepreneurs.

“The AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade will establish a conducive environment for these young people to fully participate in Africa’s digital economy,” Issoufou added.

Reflecting on the roundtable in Abuja, he commended President Bola Tinubu and his administration for facilitating discussions with key stakeholders.

“The Roundtable was attended by young pioneers in Fintech, mobile banking and other areas of the digital economy. It was evident from the discussions that young people are eager to take advantage of Africa’s digital economy through the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade”, he said.

Speaking at the AU summit, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described the AU’s endorsement as a milestone in Africa’s economic development.

“Africa has demonstrated global leadership by pioneering the first-of-its-kind AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade—establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework,” Dr. Oduwole stated.

She emphasized that the protocol is a “game changer” for the continent, predicting that it would generate millions of jobs, contribute billions to Africa’s GDP, and attract significant investments in digital infrastructure.

 


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Schmidt, Ex Google Chief Says AI Risky in Terrorist Hands

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Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO
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Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO has expressed concerns about the extreme risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) falling into the hands of terrorists or rogue states.

Schmidt, Ex Google Chief Says AI Risky in Terrorist Hands

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO

He warned that nations such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia could adopt AI technologies to develop weapons capable of causing significant harm, including biological weapons.

Schmidt urged governments to oversee private tech companies, emphasising, “The real fears I have are not the ones most people discuss about AI, I talk about extreme risk.”

“I’m always worried about an ‘Osama Bin Laden’ scenario, where truly evil individuals take control of some aspect of modern life to harm innocent people,” he added.

With private companies driving AI advancements, he stressed the need for careful government monitoring and regulation. “It’s really important that governments understand what we’re doing and keep their eye on us,” he said.

His remarks followed a two-day AI summit in Paris, where the UK and the U.S. declined to sign a communiqué outlining the future direction of AI. The declaration on “inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet” was endorsed by 57 countries, including India, China, the Vatican, the EU, and the African Union Commission.

The UK justified its decision, stating that the agreement lacked “practical clarity” on global AI governance and national security concerns.

Schmidt supports U.S. export controls restricting the sale of advanced AI microchips to certain countries, aiming to slow adversaries’ progress in AI research.

He also highlights the importance of international collaboration on AI safety, suggesting that cooperation with nations like China is essential to addressing global AI challenges.

 

 


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