Security
Beware of Scammers – 4 Tips to Spot Digital Banking Fraud
Sourced from Pure Cloud Solutions To prevent becoming the victim of fraudsters, it’s vital to be on guard, especially when using transactional, card-based accounts linked to cheque and savings accounts. Vijay Naidoo, CIO at Old Mutual Finance, pointed out that “…transactional accounts are among the most commonly used accounts, which means they are prime targets for scammers.” “Scammers are continually finding new ways to gain access to personal banking information and use it to defraud unsuspecting customers. So, banks need to continually upgrade their security systems, while consumers need to be informed and alert.” Phishing involves sending what appears to be an official email notification from an institution. If you open the message, malware is installed on your computer and account inf...
NAF chief: Armed forces committed to end insecurity
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday declared that the Armed Forces remained committed to ending the crisis of insecurity ravaging the nation. He said the expected delivery of six A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets by the United States in July and two drones from China, would be a “game changer” in the war against insurgency. The position of the air force chief is coming on a day the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, sought the assistance of the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, to provide security for train stations and railway construction sites across the country. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 1,031 recruits of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Basic Military Training Course 41/2020, Amao affirmed that “the NAF in consonance w...
Kwara governor: Let’s fight terrorism, poverty, not ourselves
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has called on Nigerians to unite in the fight against terrorism, banditry and mass poverty. AbdulRazaq made the appeal at the closing ceremony of 2 Division Inter-Brigade Corporals and Below Competition 2021, at the Sobi Barack Ilorin on Friday. The governor described these challenges as “our common enemies” and urged citizens to stop seeing one another as enemies. According to him, these are elements bent on terrorising the people and tearing the nation apart. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his patience and support for the security agencies to discharge their duties as well as commitment to national peace and security. “The security agencies, particularly the military will continue to symbolise the unity of the people and the strength of t...
President Buhari orders IGP to reduce insecurity to barest minimum
President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to ensure insecurity is reduced to the barest minimum. This is even as the Police Council made up of the President, Vice President, governors, ministers of Police Affairs, Interior and the Federal Capital Territory, confirmed Baba as the IGP. Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, who confirmed the development at the end of the one and half hours meeting, said he was unanimously confirmed. President Buhari had on April 6, appointed Baba as acting the Inspector General of Police. Baba was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before his promotion. Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting held at the First Lady Conference Room, the main purpose of the meeting was to “get the appo...
Digital Transactions Fraud Rise 187% in South Africa
As more consumers go online for banking and other financial transactions, new research from TransUnion, an American consumer credit reporting agency, has found that fraudsters are ramping up their efforts in the financial services industry. When comparing the last four months of 2020 (September 1 – December 31) and the first four months of 2021 (January 1 – May 1), the company found the percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts coming from South Africa in financial services increased by 187%. Globally, the rate of financial services fraud attempts increased by 149%. Across industries, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts globally rose 24% when comparing the first four months of 2021 with the last four months of 2020. In South Africa, the overall percentage of fraud attempts in...
Sending These WhatsApp Messages Can Land You Jail Time in SA
South Africa’s Cybercrimes Bill has finally been signed to law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Now an act of parliament, the bill seeks to bring the country’s cybersecurity laws in line with the rest of the world. One of the features of the new bill is the creation of offences and the criminalisation of, amongst others, the disclosure of data messages which are harmful. What this means is that if you send someone a WhatsApp message containing illegal material or with violent intentions, you can now be prosecuted for it. Examples of data messages now criminalised include: Messages which incite violence or damage to property. Messages which threaten persons with violence or damage to property. Messages which contain an intimate image sent without the subject’s consent. However, this isn’t just...
Benue governor decries murder of security aide
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has condemned the assassination of his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Christopher Dega (rtd), describing it as a huge blow to his administration and the entire state. The governor, while speaking to journalists Wednesday at Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, lamented that the retired AIG was very active even in retirement, saying it was painful that he was gunned down in such a gruesome manner. “Retired AIG Dega served with me here and this is someone who has retired but is not tired and was very active. So for him to have been murdered in the manner they did, a retired AIG gunned down. This is very sad,” Ortom stated. The governor, who stressed that insecurity had bedevilled the entire country, called o...
Gunmen attacks: Ebonyi governor threatens to deploy Ebubeagu to Benue
Gov. David Umahi has urged the Benue government to form a replica of the Ebubeagu security outfit to protect a village inhabited mainly by Izzi natives from Ebonyi in the state. Umahi spoke on Wednesday when he visited the village known as Nwori-Ndi Obasi Village in Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue which was attacked by gunmen on 30 May. The attack, which left some persons dead and many wounded, was stopped from spilling over to the neighbouring Okwofuruike and Odoke Villages of Ebonyi LGA by a combined team of security agencies and Ebubeagu security outfit. Speaking during the visit, Umahi said Ebonyi Government may be forced to deploy Ebubeagu to Benue if the state government failed to set up an outfit to protect the people. “These are Ebonyi people paying their taxes in Benue an...
Why Immutable Architecture is Key to Protecting Backup Data
Ransomware and other malware are a constant threat, and data backup is critical to safeguard a business’ most important asset. However, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting and encrypting backup data copies as well, a strategy that leaves organisations unable to recover unless they pay the ransom. Keeping an immutable copy of backup data is a best practice for data protection and is the solution in the event of a successful two-pronged ransomware attack. What is an immutable architecture? For data to be immutable means that it is unable to be changed over a period of time. With an immutable architecture, when retention policies are set for data backup and recovery, data will be secured, locked and unchangeable for that retention period. This in turn means that it cannot be encrypted b...
Governor Makinde: We have tackled poverty, unemployment in Oyo
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has said his administration had made steady progress in tackling poverty and unemployment in the last two years. The governor, who stated this during a special thanksgiving service to commemorate his second year in office, held at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, Ibadan, also promised to provide more equipment for security agencies. He said his administration will do more in the area of security where it has already invested heavily, adding that all hands must be on deck to secure the state. The governor explained that 299 primary health care centres were being remodeled by the administration, in line with its determination to ensure that there is a functional primary health care centre in each of the 351 Electoral Wards in the state. He lauded clerics a...
Sultan: Scrapping NYSC scheme not interest of Nigeria’s unity
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, says agitation for the scrapping of the National Youth Service (NYSC) scheme is not in the interest of Nigeria’s unity. Abubakar spoke when he hosted some selected members of NYSC Batch A stream 2 corps members posted to Sokoto state in his palace on Monday in Sokoto. The Sultan said that those agitating for the scrapping of the scheme did not mean well for the country. The emir explained that the NYSC scheme was established to foster the nation’s unity and strengthen ties among Nigerians. “I heard there are efforts for the scrapping of the NYSC scheme, I assure you that those behind that struggle do not mean well for this country, ” Abubakar said. According to him, the NYSC scheme is the most needed programme in view of the present situation wh...
Borno government shutdowns another IDP camp in Maiduguri
The Borno government has shutdown another Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp located at the state NYSC orientation camp in Maiduguri. Newsmen report that the closing of the camp, housing about I,464 households was done by officials of the state government on Monday in Maiduguri. The camp was the second to be closed by the government in three days in its bid to return all IDPs back to their communities. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Mustafa Gubio, the state’s Commissioner for Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, said the closing of the camp was to allow for renovation work to take place at the NYSC orientation camp. Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Bukar Talba, said government has established mega farms in Auno and Damasak for allocated...
