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Sophos Unveils Advanced Version of Endpoint Detection and Response
Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has unveiled an updated version of its Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), the first solution designed for both security analysts and IT administrators, available now in Sophos Intercept X Advanced and Intercept X Advanced for Server with EDR.
Significant advancements and new capabilities make it faster and easier than ever before for security analysts to identify and neutralize evasive threats, and for IT administrators to proactively maintain secure IT operations to reduce risk.
Sophos also published new research, “An Insider View into the Increasingly Complex Kingminer Botnet,” underscoring the use of servers in carrying out attacks and the importance of threat intelligence in detecting such activity.
The opportunistic Kingminer botnet attempts to gain server access by brute-forcing login credentials, and Sophos now finds that it’s using the infamous EternalBlue exploit in an attempt to spread malware among other attack mechanisms.
The new version of Sophos EDR offers a custom-built query engine to detect indicators of compromise.
Kingminer shares many of the attributes that advanced ransomware attackers use to gain access, evidence of the need for EDR with the ability to hunt active attacks.
As Sophos recently discovered in its State of Ransomware 2020 survey, only 24% of organizations breached in a ransomware incident were able to detect the intrusion and stop it before it was able to encrypt their files.
Sophos’ new EDR capabilities help security and IT teams detect threats and breaches that could otherwise take months to uncover.
Dan Schiappa, chief product officer, Sophos, said “Cybercriminals are raising the stakes, stopping at nothing to capitalize on expanded attack surfaces as organizations increasingly move to the cloud and enable remote workforces. Servers and other endpoints are all too insufficiently protected, creating vulnerable entry points that are ripe for attackers to exploit.
“Sophos EDR helps identify these attacks, preventing breaches and shining light on otherwise dark areas. Live querying capabilities only available with Sophos EDR in Intercept X enable organizations to search for past indicators of compromise and determine the current system state.
“This level of intelligence is critical in understanding changing attacker behaviors and reducing attacker dwell time.”
Sophos EDR now provides powerful visibility across an organization’s entire estate, enabling security and IT practitioners to quickly answer critical threat hunting and IT security operations questions, and easily respond. New features include:
Live Discover: Pinpoint past and present activity with up to 90 days of data retention. Out-of-the-box ready SQL queries allow administrators to answer threat hunting and IT questions, and can be selected from a library of pre-written options and fully customized by users. This flexible query engine provides access to some of the most granular and detailed endpoint activity recordings that are further enhanced with Sophos’ deep learning technology
Live Response: Remotely respond and access endpoints and servers using a command line interface to perform further investigation and remediate issues; easily reboot devices, install and uninstall software, terminate active processes, run scripts, edit configuration files, run forensic tools, isolate machines, and more
Ryan Miller, chief information security officer, Mission Search, said “Sophos EDR is a force multiplier that gives me the tools I need to do the job of an entire team without adding additional headcount.
“This new version drastically reduces the time it takes to detect and respond to incidents, saving me on average four to five hours per day. Easy to use SQL queries simplify the previously complex and time intensive process of investigating suspicious activity, and allow me to perform searches that are completely unique to my network.
“Unlike other EDR tools that are limited in what they can see and report on, Sophos EDR provides complete visibility into all of my endpoints with vast capabilities not available anywhere else.
“As the chief information security officer of a Joint Commission certified healthcare staffing firm, I am extremely sensitive to any time delays in receiving warnings related to suspicious activity that could be a precursor of a malicious attack designed to obtain sensitive data.”
Sophos EDR is powered by Sophos’ deep learning neural network, which is trained on hundreds of millions of samples to look for threat indicators.
Security analysts and IT administrators also gain on-demand access to curated threat intelligence from SophosLabs, which tracks, deconstructs and analyzes more than 400,000 malware samples every day.
Sam Heard, president, Data Integrity Services, said “The new version of Sophos EDR gives us the threat intelligence and security expertise needed to know how to prioritize and where to start our investigations so we can remediate issues requiring urgent action.
“The new features combine the strongest protections with the industry’s most powerful EDR to automatically detect, prioritize and investigate threats, so we can remotely respond to incidents with speed and precision.
“The pre-configured queries in particular are a game changer not only for security pros to threat hunt, but for IT admins to do their everyday jobs.”
Available now in Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR and Intercept X Advanced for Server with EDR at no added cost, Sophos EDR will support Windows, MacOS and Linux.
Its new Live Discover and Live Response features are easily managed in the threat analysis center on the cloud-based Sophos Central platform for real-time information sharing with Sophos’ entire portfolio of next-generation cybersecurity solutions via its unique Synchronized Security approach.
Combined with Sophos Managed Threat Response (MTR), a fully-managed threat hunting, detection and response service, organizations can boost capabilities with human analysis for a further evolved approach to proactive security protection.
MTN Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of its airtime and data advance service, Xtratime, following new regulatory requirements introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The telecom giant disclosed the development in a filing to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Thursday, stating that the move is necessary to comply with the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
Xtratime, widely used by prepaid subscribers, allows customers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge.
In the disclosure signed by Uto Ukpanah, company secretary, the firm confirmed the halt, noting, “MTN Nigeria Communications PLC hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public that the company has temporarily suspended its airtime and data credit advance service (‘Xtratime’).”
The company explained that the service now falls within the scope of the FCCPC’s expanded regulatory framework, which mandates fresh licensing and stricter compliance procedures for digital credit providers.
“The suspension relates to the implementation of processes under the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, which introduced a new compliance and licensing framework for entities providing digital or non-traditional consumer credit services,” the statement added.
Despite the suspension, MTN reassured subscribers that alternative channels for purchasing airtime and data remain fully operational. It also downplayed the financial impact of the move.
“Given the scale within the revenue mix, we do not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact,” the company said, adding that it is closely monitoring customer behaviour and will provide further updates in its first-quarter 2026 results.
The FCCPC’s 2025 regulations significantly broaden oversight of Nigeria’s digital lending ecosystem, bringing telecom operators and other providers of short-term credit services under stricter scrutiny. Companies offering such services are now required to register and obtain regulatory approval to continue operations.
The Commission had initially introduced a framework for digital lending in 2022, but expanded it in 2025 amid rising concerns over consumer debt, data privacy and lending practices.
Nokia and Orange are co-developing new strategies to maximise spectral efficiency across existing and future mobile bands, including the upper 6 GHz range, as networks transition toward 6G.
This follows an announcement of a partnership with NVIDIA to develop and evaluate Artificial Intelligence Radio Access Network (AI-RAN) technologies.
The initiative will combine the anyRAN 5G software of Nokia with the AI infrastructure of NVIDIA to improve network performance and energy efficiency.
The collaboration aims to transform service delivery for Orange across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, says Nokia.
Under a new structured co-innovation framework, the partners will explore how GPU-based radio processors can boost performance via advanced receivers.
The goal is to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) directly into the RAN to automate environments, support sensing services and drive resource utilisation.
“By collaborating with Nokia and NVIDIA, we can better understand how the AI-native architecture enabled by AI-RAN can improve the efficiency of key radio algorithms such as scheduling, beamforming, and power optimisation — enhancing both spectral efficiency and energy performance, while also enabling advanced capabilities like predictive optimisation and radio sensing. This collaboration is an important step in our long-term network strategy,” says Laurent Leboucher, group chief technology officer at Orange.
Pallavi Mahajan, chief technology and AI officer at Nokia, comments: “AI is reshaping how networks are designed, introducing new levels of intelligence and flexibility across the radio layer.
“Through this collaboration with Orange, we are exploring how Nokia and NVIDIA’s AI-RAN solution brings advanced AI and RAN functions together in a unified architecture. This will be instrumental in enabling the industry’s transition toward cognitive, AI native networks.”
Orange is currently the fourth-largest telecoms operator in Africa with 18 markets on the continent. The partnership marks a significant attempt to leverage AI to accelerate digital transformation as the first wave of 6G approaches.
Zoho Nigeria partnered with Guardian Newspapers for the Guardian Woman Festival, a month-long initiative celebrating women’s contributions to business, governance, and social development while promoting digital empowerment for female entrepreneurs.
Kehinde Ogundare
Held at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, the festival focused on the theme “Reciprocity,” encouraging the exchange of value, networks, and digital innovation to strengthen women-led businesses and foster collaboration.
During the event, Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head of Zoho Nigeria, delivered a keynote address titled “Give Value, Gain Growth: Women Driving Reciprocal Innovation in the Digital Economy”. In his remarks, he highlighted the urgent need to bridge the digital gap for female entrepreneurs.
While Nigeria has the highest concentration of women-owned businesses in Africa, fewer than 30% currently use digital tools to manage or grow their operations. Ogundare noted that technology does not replace the strengths women already bring to business, such as relationship building and community engagement. Instead, it amplifies them, enabling entrepreneurs to reach wider audiences and scale more efficiently.
“The difference is not talent. Not capital. Not ambition. It is digital adoption,” said Ogundare during his keynote. “Smart tools create smart businesses. Smart businesses create strong economies. When women entrepreneurs and leaders have access to the right tools, the possibilities for growth are limitless.”
Zubaida Aliyu, Sales Manager at Zoho Nigeria, also brought her expertise to the festival’s panel session on ‘Women in the Business of Digital Innovation’. She highlighted how women are uniquely positioned to create shared value in digital spaces by building platforms that encourage knowledge sharing, mentorship, and collaboration.
Aliyu also challenged organisations that continue to view women’s digital inclusion primarily as corporate social responsibility rather than a strategic business priority.
“Tech creates a level playing field,” she said, noting that digital platforms remove limitations related to location and infrastructure size. Addressing organisations that overlook the economic value of inclusive digital strategies, she added, “They are leaving money on the table — they need to think of it as a strategy not charity”.
Through its participation in the Guardian Woman Festival, Zoho reaffirmed its commitment to providing affordable and accessible enterprise-grade technology to businesses of all sizes. By helping women transition from manual effort to digital efficiency, Zoho aims to support entrepreneurs build scalable enterprises and ensure their sustained success in Africa’s digital economy.
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