Telecom
9 Ways to Ensure a Safer Messaging Experience on WhatsApp
Use Two-step verification to protect your account: Activate two-step verification to add more security to your WhatsApp account. Once enabled, you will be asked for a 6-digit PIN when resetting or verifying your account. This safeguards your account against phishing attacks and takeover attempts by scammers.
Always use the official app: Make sure you’re using the latest version of the official WhatsApp. Your messages are only secure and private when using the official app. Make sure the logo looks correct, and the name of the app is just “WhatsApp”. Fake apps pose security risks, including sending spam and scams to others without your knowledge. If you’re on Android and simply want two accounts on your phone, you can now add a second account using one official app (Learn more)
Safeguard sensitive information with disappearing options: For greater privacy on your messaging experience, you can choose to send photos and media with View Once that will allow recipients to see the message only once without the option to save, forward, screenshot or share the message. View once is also available for voice notes, allowing them to be played just once.
Switching off read recipients and using disappearing messages are other features to further protect chats that are important to you.
Protect your most personal chats with Chat Lock: Add another layer of security to your intimate conversations with chat lock. It places a particular chat thread in a folder that can only be accessed by you. You can also create a unique password that’s different from your device password to protect chats that mention personal or financial information. In the event someone else gets access to your phone, chat lock will keep your conversations safe from prying eyes.
Be the best admin for your Group/Community: If you’re the admin for your work WhatsApp group or your neighbourhood community, you can safeguard it to ensure it’s a place for meaningful connection and conversations. You can decide who joins a group, restrict members’ permissions to make changes to your community’s subject, icon or description, even delete unwanted messages or remove members.
Protect against scams: Scams can happen anywhere, via calls, email or messages. The first step to protecting yourself is to pause and think. If you receive a suspicious message that asks for personal information, verify if you know the contact, have common groups with them or is even coming from the country you’re in. WhatsApp asks if you want to Block an unknown contact right away. Even later, it is easy to report and block suspicious contacts to keep your account secure.
Silence unknown callers: Calls from unknown numbers can disrupt your day.WhatsApp lets you silence unknown callers, helping automatically prevent spam and scam calls.
Only link devices from trusted sources: WhatsApp lets you link up to four devices to your primary phone for an uninterrupted chat experience. However, when linking your device to a desktop using a QR code, make sure you type in theURL web.whatsapp.com or have the official app (from whatsapp.com/download or the app store). You can also review your linked devices by going to Settings>Linked Devices and logging out any device you don’t recognise.
Take the Privacy checkup: Not sure about which privacy settings to use? Take the privacy check up on your WhatsApp app to know more about features that can keep your conversations protected and enable the features you need, all in one place.
Telecom
Catholic Bishops Raise Caution on Use of Artificial Intelligence
Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), the Archbishop of Owerri has raised caution on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence.
Ugorji called for a balance that prioritises human welfare alongside technological progress, mindful of ethics and morals, as well as risks such as job displacement, threat to world peace, spread of falsehood through propaganda, manipulation of the human person, and privacy concerns through advanced hacking and deepfakes.
The clergyman raised the concern during the ComWeek Public Lecture in Abuja on Artificial Intelligence, noting that the exclusive use of technology in religious formation, pastoral care, and education has enhanced theological knowledge, accessibility and mission of the universal church.
Keynote Speaker at the event, Father Anthony Akinwale, deputy vice chancellor of Augustine University Lagos, dismissed the speculations that the intellectual roles of humans will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence, explaining that AI relied on humans to function and did not have a mind of its own to choose to or not to obey commands with which it was programmed.
Akinwale further cautioned that AI should be solely used for the common good of mankind and not for destructive purposes.
Most Reverend David Ajang, chairman on Social communication of the Catholic Bishops Conference, called for a reflection on the power of communication as a divine gift, “one that holds the potential to bridge divides, enlighten minds and unite hearts in the pursuit of truth and common good”.
Telecom
9mobile Refreshes Its MoreBusiness ComboPak with Additional Benefits
9mobile, Nigeria’s customer-centric telecommunications company has refreshed its ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ offerings with additional benefits to enable new and potential customers enjoy more value on calls, data, SMS and CUG for their Businesses.
The ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ product offering is a flexible and customizable plan with an array of add-on services. The plan gives customers benefits of extra cost-saving tariff within the bundle, and 100% bonus data upon repurchase of select bundles.
With the update, 9mobile customers on this plan will also enjoy free incoming calls while roaming on select networks in the following 10 countries: UK, UAE, South Africa, Kenya, Spain, Egypt, France, Germany, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia when they recharge ₦5,000 and above in a month.
A further benefit of the plan is the ‘Add-on solutions’. With this, companies and institutions will enjoy seamless business operations’ continuity and optimization through Close User Group (CUG), Fleet Tracking, Cloud PBX, Cloud Services, and Device Financing. Others are International Call Bundles, Roaming Bundles, and Special International Destinations Calling.
Commenting on the development, Nneka Owolabi, Director Enterprise Business, highlighted the telco’s unwavering commitment to ensure customers and subscribers enjoy premium customer experience, and wholesome value for their subscription on the 9mobile network.
“At 9mobile we have proven time and again that premium customer experience is important for us. It is the essence of our operations. That is why we have reintroduced the ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ for customers and subscribers, particularly businesses to enjoy value for their loyalty to us, and upscale their businesses”, he said.
Owolabi also stated that the ComboPak combines all business needs in one affordable bundle with cheaper voice calls, data subscription, SMS, and CUG, saying “It’s a ComboPak offering that keeps you, and your business stay ahead of trend”.
“What 9mobile ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ does is to create and sustain an ecosystem where people, in this case, customers and subscribers, and businesses run systematically with a combination of our tools efficiently. This is certain to revolutionize the way Nigerians communicate, stay connected, and transact businesses effectively”.
Subscribers to ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ plan will enjoy unique voice calls, SMS & data.
The service allows flexibility to move across packages based on your needs. For ₦1,000 ComboBasic bundle cost, customers will dial *246*4*33# to enjoy 60k/MB Browsing, 12k/sec in bundle calls, 12k/sec out of bundle calls, ₦2.60/SMS, and CUG; while for ₦1,000 ComboValue bundle cost, customers will dial *246*4*30# to enjoy 700MB, 30 National call minutes, 11k/sec out of bundle calls, 10 National SMS, and CUG.
For customers with ₦2,000 ComboPremier bundle cost, all they need to do is to dial *246*4*33# to enjoy 2.1GB, 60 National call minutes, 11k/sec out of bundle calls, 25 National SMS, and CUG. Customers subscribing to ₦5,000 ComboBlack bundle cost will enjoy benefits of 7GB, 300 National call minutes, 11k/sec out of bundle calls, 25 National SMS, and CUG.
The unique value adds on the ‘MoreBusiness ComboPak’ plan for customers also includes: Bundled Plans – for customers to enjoy flexible and customizable plans with an array of add-on services, and extra cost saving tariff within bundle.
Unlimited Add-ons – this is Add-on solutions – include CUG, Fleet Tracking, Cloud PBX, Cloud Services, Device Financing, Shared Data, International call bundles, Roaming Bundles, and Special International Destinations Calling, for customers.
This is in addition, to free data offer which is a 100% bonus data upon repurchase of select bundles.
Convenience has been embedded into the ComboPak plan for Subscribers also to check account balance by dialling *310#, and data balance by dialling *323#, while migration or opting out of the plan is absolutely free.
Telecom
MTN Nigeria’s Uto Ukpanah Named Global Corporate Secretary of the Year
MTN Nigeria’s Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, is the first ever winner of the “Global Corporate Secretary of the Year” award by the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA). She was honoured with the award at an event on April 23rd, 2024, in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia.
The CSIA Global Awards was instituted to recognise the efforts of corporate secretaries and governance professionals that not only impact their organizations but also international platforms. Of the three main award categories- Global Corporate Secretary of the Year, Rising Corporate Secretary of the Year and Governance Professional of the Year, Uto was awarded the Global Corporate Secretary of the Year for her hard work, diligence and professionalism by a distinguished jury of expert practitioners and thought leaders in the corporate governance field.
Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria congratulating her on the recognition said, “At MTN, we understand the critical role strong governance plays in driving sustainable growth and fostering trust among stakeholders. Uto’s exemplary leadership underscores our commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency. We are proud of Uto’s commitment to corporate governance. She deserves the recognition.”
Ukpanah, the pioneer winner of this award has worked with MTN Nigeria for over 18 years. She is a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in company and commercial law. Her contributions in developing sustainable corporate governance structures in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors have been instrumental in fostering transparency and ethical business practices.
Ukpanah’s dedication to ethics and corporate social responsibility advisory services has positioned her as a respected leader in the industry, driving positive change and setting high standards for corporate excellence. This is seen in her active participation on the ‘Code of Corporate Governance Committee,’ ‘9to5 Woman,’ ‘Bankers Committee on Corporate Governance’, among others.
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