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Study Finds More than Half of Companies Use AI, IoT in their Business Processes in META
A recent Kaspersky study has revealed that more than 50% of companies surveyed have implemented Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in their businesses’ infrastructures. Additionally, 33% are planning to adopt these interconnected technologies within two years.
In the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, 55% of respondents have implemented AI and 34% are planning to do so, while IoT are used in 44% of organisations with 45% planning to use them. Business owners must ensure they have the right caliber of cybersecurity solutions to secure them, experts recommend.
Interconnected technologies are the growing network of devices, systems and applications connected to the Internet and each other.
They transform enterprises, enabling them to gather more data and automate processes. But they also bring new risks and challenges when securing business assets and safeguarding customers.
Kaspersky conducted a study ‘Connecting the future of business’, which aims to help companies stay ahead of the changes interconnected technologies bring, posing critical questions regarding the way cybersecurity must adapt to them.
For this purpose, the company surveyed 560 senior IT security leaders from North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Turkiye and Africa, Russia and Asia-Pacific.
In this survey, Kaspersky sought to examine what respondents think of the following interconnected technologies:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI),
- Internet of Things (IoT),
- Augmented reality (AR), Virtual reality (VR) and digital twins,
- 6G and converged cloud networks,
- Web 3.0 which enables decentralised applications, blockchain smart contracts and user-managed data,
- Data spaces that enable seamless data sharing in collaborative settings.
The research found that AI and IoT are already used by 54% and 51% of companies respectively (55% and 44% in the META region). One in three plans to adopt them within two years (in META 34% plan to use AI and 45% IoT). Data spaces are used by 32% of businesses, with nearly half (49%) intending to adopt them in the near future (the figures are 34% and 45% in META).
Other interconnected technologies (digital twins, AR, VR, web 3.0, 6G and converged cloud networks), are used by only one in five (20-21%) companies participating in the survey, but more than 70% are considering integrating them into their business processes soon. The figures are similar in the META region, with just 6G and converged cloud networks being a bit different – 18% of respondents already use them, 80% have them in plan.
Because AI and IoT have become so widespread, they are vulnerable to new vectors of cyberattacks. According to the research, 16-17% of organisations think AI and IoT are ‘very difficult’ or ‘extremely difficult’ to protect (18% and 16% in META), while only 8% of the AI users and 12% of the IoT owners believe their companies are fully protected (9% and 14% in META).
However, as we can see, the less widespread the implementation of technologies, the more difficult it is for companies to protect them and vice versa.
For instance, the least adopted AR/VR and converged cloud networks, are the most challenging technologies to protect in terms of cyber defense, with 39-40% of companies saying they are difficult to secure (37-38% in META).
“Interconnected technologies bring immense business opportunities but they also usher in a new era of vulnerability to serious cyberthreats. With an increasing amount of data being collected and transmitted, cybersecurity measures must be strengthened.
“Enterprises must protect critical assets, build customer confidence amid the expanding interconnected landscape, and ensure there are adequate resources allocated to cybersecurity so they can use the new solutions to combat the incoming challenges of interconnected tech.
“Businesses integrating AI and IoT into their infrastructure need to protect it with Container Security and Extended Detection and Response solutions, to detect cyberthreats at early stages and provide effective defense,” comments Ivan Vassunov, VP, Corporate products, Kaspersky.
Given the scale of change that interconnected technologies is likely to bring, organisations must develop a strategy to implement and protect them. Based on the research findings, Kaspersky recommends four effective ways to ensure organisations are prepared to protect interconnected technologies:
- Adopt secure-by-design principles. By integrating cybersecurity into each stage of the software development lifecycle, secure-by-design software and hardware become resilient against cyberattacks, contributing to the overall security of digital systems.
Cyber Immune solutions based on KasperskyOS, for instance, allow companies to minimise the threat surface and significantly decrease the ability of cybercriminals to perform a successful attack.
- Train and upskill your workforce. Building a cyber-aware culture requires a comprehensive strategy that empowers employees to gain knowledge and put it into practice. With Kaspersky Expert training, InfoSec professionals can advance their skills and defend their companies against attacks.
- Upgrade your cybersecurity solutions and use centralised and automated platforms such as Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR). As companies adopt interconnected technologies, they need cybersecurity solutions with more advanced features, enabling them to collect and correlate telemetry from multiple sources and provide effective threat detection and rapid automated response.
As many AI solutions are built on containers, it’s important to secure the infrastructure they are integrated in with cybersecurity products – such as Kaspersky Container Security – that allows companies to detect security issues at every stage of the app lifecycle, from development to operation.
- Meet regulations to avoid legal problems or reputational damage, by ensuring your cybersecurity practice meets changing standards and legal requirements.
A former Executive Director at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Abbas Muhammed Jega, has shed light on the financial dealings between Arik Air and Union Bank, revealing that the airline’s debt to AMCON was over N100 billion as of 2015 and remained unpaid.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed Kuru, former AMCON MD/CEO, and four others, Jega disclosed that AMCON acquired Arik’s loans from Union Bank and Keystone Bank, but not Zenith Bank, which was purchased after his exit.
According to Jega, AMCON discovered in a London meeting that Union Bank had sold them a guarantee rather than a loan, which was meant to cover foreign lenders in case Arik defaulted.
“We invited Arik to resolve the issue with Union Bank, but the arrangement disclosed by me never existed,” Jega said.
Jega attributed Arik’s inability to repay to over-trading, which led to their inability to service existing debts. He revealed that AMCON attempted to restructure Arik’s debt and even offered additional loan facilities to help the airline with working capital problems.
However, Arik failed to meet repayment obligations, prompting AMCON to propose two solutions: a debt equity swap and management control. Both options were rejected or delayed by Arik.
Under cross-examination, Jega confirmed that Kamilu Omokide and Captain Roy Ilegbodu played no role in the loan purchase or London meeting.
The matter has been adjourned to June 30, July 1, and July 2, 2025, for further cross-examination.
The case involves alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N76 billion and $31.5 million, with Ahmed Kuru, Kamilu Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Ltd, and Super Bravo Ltd as defendants, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.
Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation is to chair the public presentation of the book Nigeria Media Renaissance: GOCOP Perspective on Online Publishing, a publication of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The event is scheduled for 110am on Tuesday June 17, 2025 at the Continental Hotel, Abuja.
President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, who confirmed this development said the book presentation will be graced by eminent personalities from all walks of life, including government officials, captains of industry, media practitioners and other professionals, representatives of international organisations, directors of non-governmental organisations.
Alhaji Idris was sworn in as Minister of Information and National Orientation on August 21, 2023, following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With over three decades of experience in broadcasting, newspapering, public relations, and advertising, Idris has brought a wealth of expertise to the role.
His academic background includes degrees in English Studies from Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto, and Bayero University, Kano. As an entrepreneur, he established notable media outlets such as Blueprint, WE FM radio station, and Rapid Television in Abuja.
He is a prominent figure in professional associations such as National Institute of Public Relations, African Public Relations Association, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria, and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria.
As the founder of Bifocal Communications, a leading public relations and communications consultancy, Idris has served both local and transnational corporations.
Beyond his professional endeavours, Idris is committed to social responsibility through the Mohammed Idris Malagi (MIM) Foundation, which has positively impacted many lives. As a reward for his contributions to the development of his immediate environment and beyond, The Etsu Nupe conferred “Kaakaki Nupe” on him.
A press statement by the GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, quoted the GOCOP president as saying that the proceeds of the book will be used to fund the N2.3 billion GOCOP MEDIA CENTRE, a multi-purpose resource centre comprising a secretariat, a 21st Century library and event halls, among others.
Nweke further noted that the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) was established to promote professionalism in online publishing, ensuring its members uphold the fundamental principles of journalism.
Comprising seasoned editors and senior journalists with distinguished career in print and electronic media, GOCOP’s membership has traversed the online publishing, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the future of journalism globally. With 120 corporate publishers as members, GOCOP continues to uphold the highest standards of online journalism.
Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued a stern warning to marketers, content creators, and social media influencers amid an alarming rise in fraudulent, AI-generated advertisements circulating across digital platforms.
Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, director-general, ARCON, during a press briefing at its Lagos headquarters, decried the “porous” state of Nigeria’s online ad ecosystem and pledged to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
Dr. Fadolapo opened the media parley by highlighting how easily unscrupulous operators deploy artificial intelligence tools to produce convincing—but entirely fabricated—advertisements.
“Our social media space has become so porous that people now freely post fake adverts, some of which claim outrageous and bogus benefits,” he remarked.
According to the Director-General, these deceptive campaigns often promise “miraculous cures” or “guaranteed returns” without any credible data or verifiable sources to back them.
Among the most alarming examples cited was an herbal remedy advertisement alleging to cure over 200 ailments—ranging from HIV to cancer—through a single “miracle” concoction.
“Imagine an advert claiming that a single herbal drug could cure HIV, cancer, and more than 200 other diseases,” Dr. Fadolapo said.
ARCON’s DG emphasized that such misleading advertisements not only jeopardize public health—by luring vulnerable individuals into purchasing untested or harmful products—but also undermine consumer confidence in legitimate businesses operating within advertising guidelines.
Dr. Fadolapo pointed to the regulatory vacuum that allows bad actors to exploit the anonymity of social media.
Unlike traditional broadcast or print media—where advertisements must pass through editorial or legal vetting—online platforms can be manipulated with minimal oversight.
Creating an ad using AI-powered design and voice generators, he warned, takes only minutes, making it difficult for regulators to identify the original perpetrators.
“The CBEX case is a painful reminder of what can happen when digital platforms are left unchecked,” Dr. Fadolapo said, explaining that the scheme purportedly defrauded unsuspecting Nigerians of nearly $2 trillion through slick, unregulated social media promotions.
He described how the CBEX promoters used AI-generated video testimonials, falsified financial statements, and cloned websites to entice victims with promises of triple-digit returns on cryptocurrency trades.
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