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E-Business

Microsoft Plans Metaverse Dominance with Activision Blizzard

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Software giant, Microsoft is planning to dominate the metaverse with its move to acquire Activision Blizzard, a game development and interactive entertainment content publisher, in a mega deal.

This is according to market analyst firm GlobalData, after the US-headquartered software firm announced it will acquire Activision Blizzard for $95 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion, inclusive of Activision Blizzard’s net cash.

This transaction has become the biggest tech merger and acquisition deal in history.

In making the announcement, Microsoft said the acquisition “will provide building blocks for the metaverse”.

Rupantar Guha, principal analyst at GlobalData’s thematic team, says taking part in what is the biggest tech merger and acquisition to date reflects Microsoft’s desire to dominate the metaverse.

“The company is focused on acquiring both Activision’s communities and content – two essential parameters for success in the metaverse. Activision’s popular games franchises Call of Duty and Overwatch, and the communities it commands, will position Microsoft as a leader in the metaverse.”

The metaverse is a virtual reality (VR) space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.

According to Statista, as of October 2021, the total market capitalisation of Web 2.0 metaverse companies was $14.8 trillion.

It notes that for gaming and eSports and also Facebook (now known as Meta after an October 2021 restructuring and pivot to VR), this figure sits much lower at $1.98 trillion and $0.90 trillion, respectively.

Guha notes Microsoft is formidable competition for Meta, Epic Games, Tencent and Roblox, all of which are scrambling for dominance in this emerging mataverse theme.

“While the metaverse is still largely conceptual, Microsoft’s strength in underlying themes such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality and cloud computing give it a leadership position in this theme.”

He believes Activision’s games will help Microsoft create metaverse experiences and provide an established global consumer base to test and market them.

“Microsoft ranks second out of 44 companies in GlobalData’s gaming thematic sector scorecard, which ranks companies based on their leadership in the 10 themes that matter most to the gaming industry – generating a leading indicator of future performance. Microsoft is second only to Tencent, while Activision Blizzard ranks 13th on the scorecard.

“Following the acquisition, Microsoft will gain a dominant position in eSports, a growing theme where it has struggled to make a mark in the past. Additionally, Activision is a mobile gaming leader with plans to launch more mobile titles in the future. The takeover will strengthen Microsoft’s position in the mobile gaming market, which will be worth $272 billion by 2030, according to GlobalData forecasts.”

When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony, says the software firm.

 


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E-Business

NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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Data Breach
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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.

NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.

Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.

Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.

It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.

Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.

 

 

 


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Nigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa

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Cyber security firm, Kaspersky, has once again warned that sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target Africa as ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APTs) escalate across the region.

Speaking at the company’s annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, the cybersecurity firm’s Global Research and Analysis Team highlighted growing digital threats affecting African nations.

Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa emerged as hotspots, with Kenya recording one of the highest web threat incident rates at 20.1% in first quarter 2025.

“While ransomware is less prevalent in Africa due to lower levels of digitisation and economic constraints, countries like South Africa and Nigeria are seeing a sharp rise in attacks,” said Sergey Lozhkin, head of META and APAC regions at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky noted a 0.01 percentage point increase in African ransomware cases year-on-year, reaching 0.41%, still below global and Middle Eastern averages, but a troubling sign for the continent’s emerging digital infrastructure.

Experts warned that attackers are refining their tactics, shifting focus to unconventional entry points like IoT devices, smart appliances, and misconfigured hardware.

“As these economies expand digitally, sectors such as manufacturing, finance and government are becoming key targets,” said Lozhkin

The cyber-crime landscape is evolving quickly, fuelled by AI tools and dark web access to large language models, which enable less skilled actors to launch convincing phishing and malware campaigns.

Groups like FunkSec, which uses AI-generated code and a low-cost ransom model, are redefining ransomware operations.

“African organisations face the dual challenge of expanding digital footprints and limited cybersecurity awareness. This makes layered defense strategies, including network segmentation, real-time monitoring and regular staff training, essential,” stated Lozhkin

Kaspersky continues to monitor 25 active APT groups in the META region, including SideWinder and MuddyWater, some of which are known to target African institutions.

To bolster defenses, the firm recommends using tools such as its free Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business and the Kaspersky Next suite for threat visibility and response.

 


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Nigeria Launches Cybercrime Team with Commonwealth, UK Support

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Nigeria recently launched a new joint case team to step up its response to cybercrimes that affect people and businesses at home and abroad.

Nigeria Launches Cybercrime Team with Commonwealth, UK Support

The ‘Joint Case Team on Cybercrime’ brings together Nigeria’s key justice and security agencies to work as one, making it easier to detect, investigate, and prosecute digital offences.

It is supported by the UK National Crime Agency, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of a wider effort to promote international cooperation on cybercrime.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, minister of justice and attorney general of the federation described the initiative as “a bold and transformative stride in Nigeria’s justice system.”

He said that although Nigeria has a national legal framework to address cyber offences, laws alone are not enough.

Nigeria is among the countries most affected by cybercrime around the world, with increasing financial losses.


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