E-Business
Digital Encode: Pioneering Effective Cybersecurity Response to Attacks in Nigeria
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in its global cybersecurity index (GCI) 2020 ranks Nigeria 47th among countries tackling cybercrimes headlong.
The index disclosed that countries are working to improve their cyber safety despite the challenges of COVID-19 and the rapid shift of everyday activities into the digital sphere.
Despite notable improvements, gaps in cyber capacity persist, according to ITU. The GCI revealed that many countries and regions lag in key areas.
These include cybersecurity skills training, which must be tailored to the needs of citizens, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); finance, healthcare, energy, and other key sectors, which require dedicated measures to close cybersecurity gaps; critical infrastructure protection, which requires enhancement to meet new and evolving cyber threats and Individual data protection, which requires continual reinforcement as online activity expands.
In Nigeria one company has distinguished itself in providing effective strategy in addressing issues in the key sectors that ITU report identified and that company is Digital Encode.
Digital Encode is a leading consulting and integration firm founded in 2003 that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environments and other Information Technology (IT) infrastructures.
Recognized in the industry for its vendor independent perspective, the firm’s expertise lies in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems.
At Digital Encode, technology serves two purposes: to save money and solve a problem. Digital Encode also provides advisory services toward improvements in Information Security Management, Network Security, Vulnerability Management, Penetration Testing, Computer Forensics, Risk Management and Business Continuity Management.
Digital Encode’s unique methodology is rooted in the concept that a company should run its IT organization as a business. Throughout the well -defined process, Digital Encode translates strategic business objectives into sound, achievable technology solutions. This approach ensures that the technology never obscures the business goals.
Digital Encode has managed several projects for banks in the country among them included penetration testing and vulnerability assessments for PCIDSS certifications.
It has also assisted many organisations to deliver ISO 27001:13 certification which is a testament to their teamwork, focus, drive and will to succeed.
Recently, Digital Encode got licensed under the Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCO) by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
With the development, Digital Encode is recognised by NITDA to provide training, auditing, and consulting services throughout the country in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) principles.
Among the objectives behind the regulation were the protection of the privacy rights and freedoms of Nigerian citizens, on the one hand and the promotion of local and foreign investments in the digital economy by safeguarding the information systems infrastructure against breaches and implementing internationally compatible rules.
As a DPCO, Digital Encode is expected to verify self-audits prior to submission to NITDA. This is a means of decentralising compliance activities for more efficiency.
Dr. Peter Adewale Obadare, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Digital Encode, who is also the Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance at Digital Encode, said as a Pan-African cyber security, the company would continue to keep assisting individuals and businesses protect their information assets.
Dr. Seyi Akindeinde, Chief Technical Officer of Digital Encode, said the license would remain a testament to Digital Encode’s unique methodology rooted in the concept of professionalism.
Akindeinde added that while assisting companies to achieve the data protection goals through a well-defined secure process, Digital Encode would continue to translate strategic business objectives into sound, achievable technology solutions.
Digital Encode Cyber security Efforts in Nigeria
Dr. Wale Obadare and Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, both founders of Digital encode have expressed worries over the implementation of none impactful cyber security solutions to organizations by vendors which has resulted in increased loss of money and data by organizations.
They cautioned organisations on over dependence on cyber security products for protection against cyber-attacks.
Obadare, further said that major challenge organizations face in the fight against cybercriminal and cyber warfare is lack of trained manpower.
“I have been in cyber security ecosystem for many years now and have identified lack of trained manpower in most organizations. Cyber security is not a certificate that speaks for you, but a continuous training to be ahead of the smart criminals. Most organizations find it difficult to continually update their IT security staff to be able to face cyber threats,” he said.
Akindeinde, emphasized on the need for a national cyber security framework against industry specifics frameworks.
“There are a number of frameworks aimed at assisting most organizations in preventing cyber attacks. A prime example is the ISO 27001 ISMS. A more specific one for the financial / payments sector is the PCI DSS. This is a regulatory framework. I think it’s a case of the level of maturity of cybersecurity in the banking sector. Other sectors have not got to that advanced stage of maturity which is why the banks seem to be at the forefront of preventing and addressing issues related to Cybersecurity,” he said.
Recognitions
Digital Encode has been conferred with several awards in recognition its efforts in pioneering effective cybersecurity strategy in Nigeria and Africa as well as its quality-driven operations and global best practice standards in Information Security Management and Compliance Advisory ecosystem among them included; the ‘Africa’s Most Innovative Quality Cyber-Security Consulting Company’ by African Quality Institute.
At the 11th edition of Beacon of ICT awards 2020, Digital Encode was inducted in the Beacon of ICT Hall of Fame as the Cybersecurity Company of the Year of the Decade as well as Compliancy Advisory Company of the Year of the Decade.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, organisers of the award said that Digital Encode is the only Nigerian Cybersecurity company to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
More so, the company’s founders Dr. Wale Obadare and Dr. Seyi Akindeinde, at the same edition of the award in addition to emerging as Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Man of the Year 2020 were also inducted into the individual category of the Beacon of ICT Hall of Fame as Cybersecurity Personalities of the Decade.
The organisers described Digital Encode efforts in the country’s Cyber-Security ecosystem’s and emergence in its award categories as “Digital Encode’s consistency in placing high premium on quality in all areas of its operations.”
The University of Nigeria (UNN) is set to partner with The Roxettes Group to establish a research and innovation centre focused on artificial intelligence (AI), smart and green mobility, and digital technologies, in a move aimed at strengthening research, entrepreneurship and technology-driven industrial development.
Chairman of The Roxettes Group, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Orji-Kelechi, announced the proposed partnership while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) during the university’s convocation ceremony.
The proposed facility, to be known as the Dr. Kaycee Orji Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Smart/Green Mobility and Digital Innovation, is expected to provide a platform for research, innovation and collaboration between academia and industry, with a focus on developing commercially viable solutions to local and continental challenges.
Orji-Kelechi said the initiative was conceived as a long-term investment in human capital and technological advancement rather than simply another physical infrastructure project.
He said the vision was to position the University of Nigeria among Africa’s leading institutions in artificial intelligence, smart mobility and digital innovation through research, entrepreneurship and technology development.
According to him, the centre will house five specialised laboratories covering artificial intelligence and machine learning, smart and green mobility, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT), digital finance and financial technology, as well as cloud computing and advanced data centre technologies.
He also announced plans for the proposed Kaycee Orji Founders Innovation Challenge, an annual programme intended to identify, mentor and support innovative ideas from students, researchers and academic staff with the potential to become scalable businesses.
“Every student of this University should know that a great idea conceived in a classroom should have a pathway to becoming a patent, a startup, a global enterprise, and a solution that transforms society,” he said.
Orji-Kelechi disclosed that preliminary conceptual work on the project had commenced, with architectural and engineering designs being prepared by K.KH Contractors Ltd., a subsidiary of The Roxettes Group.
He added that discussions with the university would begin on identifying a suitable site for the project, while a comprehensive proposal containing architectural drawings, engineering designs and an implementation framework would be submitted after completion of the design phase.
Reflecting on his career, Orji-Kelechi said Africa must move beyond consuming innovation to creating it through investment in manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship.
“We have pursued one simple vision: that Nigeria and Africa must move from consumption to production; from importing innovation to creating it; and from waiting for opportunities to building them,” he said.
He urged graduating students to see their education as a foundation for solving societal challenges through innovation, leadership and enterprise, adding that he remained committed to promoting industrial development, youth empowerment and sustainable economic growth.
The proposed collaboration forms part of broader efforts to strengthen university-industry partnerships, which are increasingly seen as critical to improving research commercialisation, innovation capacity and technology-led economic development in Nigeria.
National Population Commission (NPC) has announced commencement of full digital registration of births and deaths through the VitalReg platform, which became operational nationwide on July 1, 2026.
Chidi Ezeoke, federal commissioner representing Anambra, disclosed this in Awka during a press conference to announce commencement of full digital birth and death registration under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and the marking of World Population Day commemorated every July 11.
He revealed that a total of 131 registration centres had been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities in the state, adding that more centres would be opened later.
Ezeoke described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, to ensure every birth and death in the country was captured through a digitally enabled registration platform.
“It builds on the launch of the E-CRVS system and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics by President Bola Tinubu on Nov. 8, 2023.
“A total of 4,011 functional registration centres has been established across the 774 LGAs of the federation and the commission iswas working to expand the number to about 8,000.
“In Anambra, 131 registration centres have been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities. More centres had been proposed for the state,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the VitalReg platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting time, improved data validation and a more secure national CRVS database.
While noting that the platform would serve as a foundational database to support other national data systems and strengthen interoperability across Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, Ezeoke urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to support the initiative by ensuring prompt registration of all births and deaths.
Speaking on the 2026 World Population Day themed, “Realising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People – Today and for the Future”, the Commissioner called for greater investment in education, healthcare, skills development, decent employment opportunities and youth participation in governance for sustainable national development.
Earlier, Mr Obiakonwa Okagwu, state director, NPC, said the occasion served as a reminder of great opportunities provided to harness young people’s capabilities, which he said would shape the future of the country when adequately harnessed.
He called on residents to take registration of births and deaths as national responsibility, just as he urged the media to take the message on civil registration to all parts of the State.
E-Business
Report Says Cybercriminals Deploy Malware to Hijack Crypto Wallets, Monitor Browsers Telegram
Cybersecurity researchers at Kaspersky have uncovered a sophisticated malware framework, dubbed OkoBot, that is targeting cryptocurrency users by stealing wallet recovery phrases, browser credentials and other sensitive information through a multi-stage attack campaign spanning more than 25 countries.
The researchers said the malware, active since April 2025, employs more than 20 malicious payloads and has evolved into an advanced cybercrime platform focused on compromising digital asset holders. According to Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), the campaign remains active and has already affected hundreds of users worldwide.
Kaspersky disclosed that one of the framework’s most dangerous components, known as SeedHunter, injects malicious code into legitimate cryptocurrency wallet applications, including Ledger Wallet, Ledger Live and Trezor Suite, before displaying fake recovery phrase prompts designed to trick victims into surrendering their seed phrases.
The security firm explained that once attackers obtain a victim’s recovery phrase, they gain complete control over the cryptocurrency wallet, enabling them to transfer digital assets with virtually no chance of recovery.
Commenting on the discovery, Dmitry Galov, security researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT, said.
“This campaign has been running for more than a year and remains active. OkoBot is not just a single piece of malware but an extensible framework built primarily to compromise cryptocurrency users.”
Galov added that the malware is continuously maintained and enhanced, underscoring the attackers’ long-term focus on financial theft.
According to Kaspersky, victims are typically infected through ClickFix phishing attacks or malicious GitHub repositories masquerading as legitimate software downloads. In one instance, a fake Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio repository secretly installed a trojanized version of the Audacity audio editor embedded with malicious code.
Following the initial compromise, the attackers deploy a PowerShell downloader called TookPS,which establishes an encrypted SSH connection to attacker-controlled infrastructure.
The malware then harvests browser cookies, wallet files, stored credentials and system information before downloading additional malicious modules.
Among the additional payloads is OkoSpyware which monitors more than 100 applications, which includes cryptocurrency wallets and password managers—records user activity and captures keystrokes and video of application windows. Another module silently installs malicious browser extensions capable of stealing financial information and authentication tokens.
However, Kaspersky’s telemetry indicates that the largest concentrations of victims have been recorded in Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico and Türkiye, although the malware campaign has spread to users across more than 25 countries.
The cybersecurity firm advised cryptocurrency users never to enter wallet recovery phrases into prompts displayed by desktop applications or websites unless they have independently verified their authenticity.
Furthermore,It also urged users to download wallet software exclusively from official sources, enable multi-layered endpoint protection, and remain cautious of software offered through unofficial repositories or phishing websites.
Kaspersky noted that while hardware wallets themselves remain secure, attackers are increasingly exploiting the software that accompanies them, making user awareness a critical line of defence against evolving cryptocurrency-focused cyber threats.
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