Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) is seeking firmer collaboration with the country’s data protection commission to enhance security around the biometer voter registry.

This was the key point during a recent meeting between Prof Yakubu Mahmood, chairman INEC, and Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

According to a post on the NDPC’s Facebook account, the discussion between the officials touched on how the two bodies can work together in order to keep the data of over 93 million Nigerian voters safe and secure.

Speaking, the INEC Chairman emphasized the importance of data protection in the electoral process, without which there can be no polls.

He said their partnership with the NDPC will enable the election management agency have a better understanding of importance aspects of data protection including compliance.

In his own remarks, Olatunji talked about data protection from a historical perspective and highlighted efforts by the government of Nigeria to make data protection an integral aspect of the country’s digital revolution.

Such efforts, he said, reached a milestone last year with the enactment of the Personal Data Protection Act by President Bola Tinubu.

Olatunji noted that because the consequences of data protection inadequacies are grave, it is necessary for institutions like INEC, which holds the biggest voter registration database on the continent, to leave no stone unturned in ensuring maximum security for such data through rigorous compliance measures.

This, he mentioned, includes steps such as designing a privacy policy, naming Data Protection Officers at the national and state levels, and establishing a working relationship with a data protection compliance organization.

As part of the partnership, the NDPC boss pledged to support INEC by offering training and capacity building for the election agency’s staff and Data Protection Officers on ways of better safeguarding data whose management they are a part of.

Kaspersky researchers have identified a new spyware campaign distributing Mandrake malware through Google Play under the guise of legitimate apps related to cryptocurrency, astronomy, and utility tools.

Kaspersky experts have discovered five Mandrake applications on Google Play, which were available for two years, with more than 32,000 downloads.

The latest samples feature advanced obfuscation and advanced evasion techniques, enabling them to remain undetected by security vendors.

First identified in 2020, Mandrake spyware is a sophisticated Android espionage platform that has been active since at least 2016. In April 2024, Kaspersky researchers uncovered a suspicious sample, suggesting a new version of Mandrake with enhanced functionality.

These new samples feature advanced obfuscation and evasion techniques, including shifting malicious functions to obfuscated native libraries using OLLVM, implementing certificate pinning for secure communication with command and control (C2) servers, and conducting extensive checks to detect whether Mandrake is operating on a rooted device or within an emulated environment.

The key distinguishing feature of the new Mandrake variant is the addition of advanced obfuscation techniques designed to bypass Google Play’s security checks and hinder analysis. Company’s experts identified five applications containing the Mandrake spyware, collectively downloaded more than 32,000 times.

These apps, all published on Google Play in 2022, were available for download for at least a year. They were presented as a file-sharing app via Wi-Fi, an astronomy services app, an Amber for Genshin game, a cryptocurrency app and app with logic puzzles. As of July 2024, none of these apps have been detected as malware by any vendor, according to VirusTotal.

While these malicious applications are no longer available in Google Play, they were available in a wide range of countries with the majority of downloads happening in Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Peru, and the UK.

“After evading detection for four years in its initial versions, the latest Mandrake campaign remained undetected on Google Play for an additional two years. This demonstrates the advanced skills of the threat actors involved.

It also highlights a troubling trend: as restrictions tighten and security checks become more rigorous, the sophistication of threats penetrating official app stores increases, making them more challenging to detect,” comments Tatyana Shishkova, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT (Global Research and Analysis Team).

Digital solutions company, Globacom and AXA Mansard Health Insurance have partnered to launch an innovative micro-health insurance plan, Glo Health Insurance, a groundbreaking solution that utilizes Globacom’s extensive mobile network to provide seamless access to healthcare services for all subscribers, across the country.

With the health insurance, subscribers can access tele-consultations with medical practitioners, free drugs, and treatment at thousands of pharmacies nationwide. The plan offers flexible subscription options, including daily (N50), weekly (N300), and monthly (N750) plans, with the convenience of one-time or auto-renewal payments. It can be accessed by all Glo subscribers via SMS, USSD, and through the web.

Globacom said subscribers will enjoy a range of benefits, including free medication up to a specified amount and entry into a weekly and monthly raffle draw to win up to N1 million by any subscriber whose number is picked in the monthly draw.

It added that the reward system provides a pay-back benefit to subscribers, regardless of whether they access the health insurance benefits or not.

The company said, “Enrollment is easy and convenient, with subscribers able to sign up via SMS, USSD, or on the Glo website without the need to visit any office.  They can simply dial *3013# from their mobile phones to select any preferred health insurance pack”.

Speaking at the launch, Adebola Surakat, Chief Marketing Officer of AXA Mansard, posited that the product shows AXA Mansard’s commitment to providing affordable and quality healthcare to the Nigerian populace, saying, “AXA Mansard is very delighted to have found the same level of commitment in Globacom and other partners on this project”.

Surakat noted, “The combined purpose of AXA to act for human progress and Glo to power ambitions is at the heart of this product. Ultimately, however, Nigerians win.

This is because this partnership will accelerate the noble agenda of universal health coverage. With this product, healthcare can now be accessible to everyone, everywhere in the country”.

Deji Macaulay, CEO of Truthware Solutions, the technical designer and integrator of the solution said “this innovative service offers protection to customers against a wide range of health risks, providing cover for primary care and hospitalization.

The product features easy enrollment, swift claim processing and affordable premiums, making it accessible to millions of Nigerians. This cross-industry integration is set to revolutionize the way consumers safeguard health care for themselves and their families”.