E-Business
Most Businesses Ill-Equipped to Fight eMail-Based Cyber-Attacks
Mimecast, the email security, email continuity and email archiving cloud company, has released the results of its new global research study: Mimecast Business Email Threat Report 2016, Email Security Uncovered.
The survey of 600 IT security professionals, showed that while 64 percent regard email as a major cyber-security threat to their business, 65 percent don’t feel fully equipped or up to date to reasonably defend against email-based attacks.
One-third of respondents also believe their email is more vulnerable today than it was five years ago.
Email continues to be a critical technology in business and the threat of email hacks and data breaches loom large over IT security managers.
Consequently, confidence and experience with previous data breaches and email hacks play key parts in determining a company’s perceived level of preparedness against these threats and targeted email attacks.
Of the 600 surveyed, just 35 percent feel confident about their level of preparedness against data breaches. Of the 65 percent who don’t feel fully prepared against future potential attacks, nearly half experienced such attacks in the past, indicating that they don’t feel any more protected following an attack than they did prior.
This is also reflected in the few steps taken toward widespread email security. Although 83 percent of all respondents highlight email as a common attack vector, one out of ten report not having any kind of email security training in place. Among the least-confident respondents, 23 percent attest to lacking any supplementary security measures.
“Our cyber-security is under attack and we depend on technology, and email in particular, in all aspects of business. So it’s very disconcerting to see that while we might appreciate the danger, many companies are still taking too few measures to defend themselves against email-based threats in particular,” said Peter Bauer, chief executive officer, Mimecast.
“As the cyber threat becomes more grave, email attacks will only become more common and more damaging. It’s essential that executives, the C-suite in particular, realize that they may not be as safe as they think and take action. Our research shows there is work still to be done to be safe and we can learn a lot from the experience of those that have learnt the hard way.”
Budget and C-suite involvement were the biggest gaps found between the most and least prepared respondents.
Among the IT security managers who feel most prepared, five out of six say that their C-suite is engaged with email security. However, of all IT security managers who were polled, only 15 percent say their C-suite is extremely engaged in email security, while 44 percent say their C-suite is only somewhat engaged, not very engaged, or not engaged at all.
Those who feel better prepared to handle email-based threats also allocate higher percentages of their IT security budgets toward email security.
These IT security managers allocate 50 percent higher budgets to email security compared to managers who were less confident in their readiness.
From these findings, the data points to allotting 10.4 percent of the total IT budget toward email security as the ideal intersection between email security confidence and spend.
Mimecast found that five distinct “personas” emerged among the respondents, and characterized them into a Cyber-Security Shiver Grid based on their levels of email security and perceptions of data breach confidence: the Vigilant (16 percent), Equipped Veterans (19 percent), Apprehensive (31 percent), Nervous (6 percent) and Battle-Scarred (28 percent). Altogether, a majority of the IT security managers – totaling 65 percent, comprising the apprehensive, nervous and battle-scarred respondents – feel unprepared to manage email-based attacks.
Other key findings of the survey include:
• The top 20 percent of organizations that feel most secure are 250 percent more likely to see email as their biggest vulnerability.
• Confident IT security managers are 2.7x more likely to have a C-suite that is extremely or very engaged in email security. They are also 1.6x more likely to see C-suite involvement in email security as extremely or very appropriate.
• The least confident IT security managers are more likely to be using Microsoft’s Exchange Mail Server 2010, which ended mainstream support in January 2015. The most confident managers are more likely to use the up-to-date Exchange Server 2013.
• 70 percent of IT professionals that have recently and directly experienced an email hack employ internal safeguards, such as data leak prevention or targeted threat protection.
• Apprehensive IT security professionals are more likely to be found in smaller (fewer than 500 employees) firms than larger ones (32 percent to 18 percent, respectively).
• Less than half (48 percent) of IT security managers in smaller firms feel confident and well-prepared for tackling email security threats, compared to larger companies.
This study was created by Mimecast and March Communications, and facilitated by Vanson Bourne, during late 2015, consisting of 600 IT security decision makers from the USA (n=200), the UK (n=200), South Africa (n=100) and Australia (n=100) on their companies’ level of email security, IT preparedness and confidence in defending against cyber threats, as well as past experiences with data breaches and email hacks. The overall margin of error is ± 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. For more information, or to download the full research report, click here.
Africa’s leading technology distributor Powerhouse, TD Africa, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cybersecurity awareness and digital resilience by sponsoring the 3rd Annual Secure 360 Summit Nigeria 2026, hosted by global cybersecurity leader Check Point Software Technologies, as Gold Sponsor.
Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa
This year’s summit was held in Abuja and Lagos, bringing together key stakeholders from across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
Now in its third edition, the Secure 360 Summit has evolved into one of Nigeria’s premier cybersecurity forums, bringing together Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), IT Directors, and senior technology leaders from the financial services, telecommunications, enterprise, energy, and public sectors to address today’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking on the significance of the summit, Kingsley Oseghale, Country Manager, Check Point Nigeria, emphasized the need for stronger collaboration in tackling emerging cyber risks. “Cybersecurity has become a business priority rather than just an IT concern.
“Through the Secure 360 Summit, we continue to provide a platform for industry leaders to exchange insights, strengthen partnerships, and explore innovative approaches to securing today’s digital economy.
“We are pleased to have TD Africa as a valued partner in driving cybersecurity awareness across Nigeria.”
In her remarks, Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa, applauded Check Point for creating a platform that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing businesses and individuals. “Cybersecurity is everyone’s business. We owe it to ourselves, our organisations, and our communities to remain security-conscious in an increasingly connected world.
“At TD Africa, innovation drives everything we do, and innovation can only thrive in a secure environment.
“This is why we are proud to support initiatives like the Secure 360 Summit that promote knowledge sharing and strengthen our collective cyber resilience.”
The summit featured expert-led sessions on emerging cyber threats, artificial intelligence, cloud security, ransomware, and strategies for building resilient digital infrastructures, equipping participants with practical insights to navigate today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Through its continued partnership with global technology leaders like Check Point, TD Africa remains committed to empowering businesses across Africa with world-class cybersecurity solutions, fostering industry collaboration, and driving the continent’s secure digital transformation.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled in the national identity database before the end of 2026, according to Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer of the agency.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer, NIMC
Coker-Odusote, who appeared on Channels Television, said the directive forms part of the federal government’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national identity system capable of supporting effective governance, planning, and service delivery.
“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she said.
According to her, NIMC is working with partners under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project to accelerate nationwide enrolment.
“What we have done is we have partnered through the World Bank ID4D project with front-end partners. They are part of the digital identity ecosystem. These are private citizens that we’ve enabled and given jobs to enrol citizens on our behalf,” she explained.
She stressed that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains a unique identifier, ensuring that every individual is registered only once.
“That’s why it’s called a unique identifier, so that you’re only enrolled once,” the NIMC DG added.
Coker-Odusote said Nigeria’s actual population remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 250 million, making a comprehensive identity database essential for national planning.
“It is estimated that we’re 200 million. When we’re done enrolling, we will then know the actual numbers that we have. Some estimates say 230 million, while a few people say 250 million.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have? We have been mandated by Mr President to go down to the community levels to enrol every single Nigerian”, she said.
Responding to concerns about whether an individual could obtain multiple identities by registering in different locations or under different names, the NIMC boss said the commission’s biometric verification system prevents such occurrences.
She explained that while the previous system could accept duplicate enrolments before detecting them later, the current process automatically identifies and invalidates multiple registrations.
“The legacy system had no way of verifying at the front end whether you had already been captured. Once the record comes into the system, it flags it as a duplicate or that the person already exists in the database.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated,” she said.
The NIMC DG added that biometric verification, including fingerprints and facial recognition, makes it virtually impossible for one person to maintain multiple identities.
“Absolutely. One of the things that this Act has done is to cement our role in capturing biometrics. Private and public sector organisations will no longer capture biometrics independently. They will validate identities through API integration with NIMC.
“The telcos are already doing that with us. If you need a SIM card, they capture your facial biometrics, which are matched against our database in real time to confirm that you are who you claim to be. We’re using biometric validation to tighten security around identity confirmation,” she said.
The remarks come weeks after Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law on June 26, repealing the 2007 legislation.
The new law reinforces the “One Person, One Identity” policy by making the NIN the country’s foundational identity credential for accessing government and essential private services, including banking, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, land transactions, and consumer credit.
It also introduces stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations and unauthorised access to personal identity data, while strengthening data privacy protections and granting NIMC wider powers to investigate identity-related offences.
Cybersecurity and privacy experts are raising concerns around the growing trend of sports fans using generative AI to create World Cup-related images, mock-ups, predictions and social media content.
Whilst offering new ways for supporters to engage with major sporting events, these tools also introduce risks that many users may underestimate. In light of this, Kaspersky has shared the key risks fans should keep in mind when using generative AI tools, so they can continue enjoying the championship with peace of mind.
When fan AI goes rogue. A growing number of AI tools are being used to create World Cup-themed visuals, avatars, memes and other fan content. While these services may seem creative and harmless, not all of them come from trusted providers.
Many are launched quickly to capitalise on interest around major events, increasing the likelihood that users will interact with platforms that offer limited transparency around data handling, lack adequate privacy and security measures, or might even be designed with malicious intent.
Personal data at stake. To create customised World Cup content, users are often asked to upload selfies, sign up with an email address, connect social media accounts or share other personal information. In doing so, they may reveal more information than necessary without fully understanding how that data will be stored, used, or potentially exposed.
“AI-driven fan content may seem harmless, but one of the key privacy risks is that users are often encouraged to share far more personal information than necessary. A simple request to generate a themed avatar can involve the collection of photos, contact details, account data and behavioural insights – information that may later be insufficiently protected.
“Because major global events often create an ideal environment for opportunistic actors, fans should take a closer look at how these tools manage personal data before engaging with them,” says Anna Larkina, web content analysis and privacy expert at Kaspersky.
When fan content becomes a scam. AI-generated World Cup content in some cases can also be used to support fraud. Cybercriminals may use convincing mock-ups, fake giveaways, or official-looking fan pages to attract attention and build trust. Once users engage, they may be redirected to phishing sites, fake stores, fraudulent offers, or betting-related scams. Generative AI makes these campaigns easier to produce, more persuasive and far easier to scale.
The myth of AI predictions. Another area that deserves caution is AI-powered match prediction. However advanced or data-driven these tools may appear, AI cannot reliably predict inherently uncertain sporting outcomes. When used to promote betting, paid subscriptions or “insider communities”, such services can create a false sense of confidence and encourage risky decisions.
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