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Call Masking: NCC Makes U Turn Blames SIM Box Operators

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has blamed SIM Box operators for persistent incidence of call masking in telecommunications system.

 

Call masking is a practice in which callers hide their true numbers when making calls, especially international calls, in order to evade the international call rates.

 

Mr. Efose Idehen, head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, NCC, said in Lagos earlier this week that his team is currently monitoring persistent call masking after sanctions and warning on perceived culprits interconnect Clearing houses did not yield any result.

 

“We have identified SIM Box operators as being responsible for call masking currently going on in the industry,” he said.

 

He explained that the SIM Box operators route their calls through mobile network operators (MNOs) making it looks as if the calls are coming from the mobile operators.

 

He noted that the situation is made possible because of small difference between international call termination rate and national call termination rate.

 

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said that the twist in culpability of call masking have raised integrity issue on NCC, having sanctioned some operators for being behind call masking and thereafter identify another group when the problem did not stop.

 

“What this means is that there is need for proper investigation to be carried out before sanctions are melted out on operators. There is need for more consultation and stakeholders’ engagement before decisions on sanction are taken.

 

“I have said several times that sanctions do not solve problems. What has happened in this situation is that NCC may have sanctioned the right people in the wrong way, they need address this problem by identifying those really behind it, if international and national call termination rates are induce factor, it can be reviewed to address it,” he said.

 

Adebayo, described SIM Box operators as virtual operators licensed to provide value added services. “Their services are driven by technology through a small transit switching computer that enables them to trunk calls. They are everywhere in the industry.

 

It would be recalled that NCC in February this year suspended the operating licenses of some telecommunications operators for engaging in call masking.

 

The commission also issued warning letters to others it said were caught engaging in the practice.

 

A statement issued by Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs, NCC, said the telecommunications regulatory agency had also begun the second phase of investigation on the involvement of digital mobile operators in masking activities.

“The NCC has recently been inundated with complaints from service providers and consumers regarding the high incidence of call masking, call refiling and SIM boxing,” the statement said.

 

“Generally, the practice complained of involves disguising international calls as local calls in order to profit from price differentials between international and local calls.

 

“Apart from the resultant loss of revenue by service providers, the practice also has some negative security implications. Following a painstaking investigation process, which included collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services, the commission has imposed a range of sanctions on licensees involved in the fraudulent practice.”

 


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SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

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SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.

SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

SHELT

The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.

SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.

“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”

The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.


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Meta Names Ex-Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick as President

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Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.

Meta names ex-Trump adviser Dina Powell McCormick as president

Dina Powell McCormick

The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.

A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.

The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions


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X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

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X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.

X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

Musk

The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.

The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.

The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.

X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.

Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.

xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.

This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.

Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.


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