Telecom
Cybercriminals Wiped Out Logs in 82% of Attacks – Sophos
Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, has released its Active Adversary Report for Security Practitioners, which found that telemetry logs were missing in nearly 42% of the attack cases studied. In 82% of these cases, cybercriminals disabled or wiped out the telemetry to hide their tracks. The report covers Incident Response (IR) cases that Sophos analyzed from January 2022 through the first half of 2023.
Gaps in telemetry decrease much-needed visibility into organizations’ networks and systems, especially since attacker dwell time (the time from initial access to detection) continues to decline, shortening the time defenders have to effectively respond to an incident.
“Time is critical when responding to an active threat; the time between spotting the initial access event and full threat mitigation should be as short as possible.
“The farther along in the attack chain an attacker makes it, the bigger the headache for responders. Missing telemetry only adds time to remediations that most organizations can’t afford.
“This is why complete and accurate logging is essential, but we’re seeing that, all too frequently, organizations don’t have the data they need,” said John Shier, field CTO, Sophos.
In the report, Sophos classifies ransomware attacks with a dwell time of less than or equal to five days as “fast attacks,” which accounted for 38% of the cases studied. “Slow” ransomware attacks are those with a dwell time greater than five days, which accounted for 62% of the cases.
When examining these “fast” and “slow” ransomware attacks at a granular level, there was not much variation in the tools, techniques, and living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) that attackers deployed, suggesting defenders don’t need to reinvent their defensive strategies as dwell time shrinks.
However, defenders do need to be aware that fast attacks and the lack of telemetry can hinder fast response times, leading to more destruction.
“Cybercriminals only innovate when they must, and only to the extent that it gets them to their target. Attackers aren’t going to change what’s working, even if they’re moving faster from access to detection.
“This is good news for organizations because they don’t have to radically change their defensive strategy as attackers speed up their timelines.
“The same defenses that detect fast attacks will apply to all attacks, regardless of speed. This includes complete telemetry, robust protections across everything, and ubiquitous monitoring,” said Shier.
“The key is increasing friction whenever possible—if you make the attackers’ job harder, then you can add valuable time to respond, stretching out each stage of an attack.
“For example, in the case of a ransomware attack, if you have more friction, then you can delay the time until exfiltration; exfiltration often occurs just before detection and is often the costliest part of the attack.
“We saw this happen in two incidents of Cuba ransomware. One company (Company A) had continuous monitoring in place with MDR, so we were able to spot the malicious activity and halt the attack within hours to prevent any data from being stolen. Another company (Company B) didn’t have this friction; they didn’t spot the attack until a few weeks after initial access and after Cuba had already successfully exfiltrated 75 gigabytes of sensitive data.
“They then called in our IR team, and a month later, they were still trying to get back to business as usual.”
The Sophos Active Adversary Report for Security Practitioners is based on 232 Sophos Incident response (IR) cases across 25 sectors from Jan. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Targeted organizations were located in 34 different countries across six continents. Eighty-three percent of cases came from organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees.
The Sophos Active Adversary Report for Security Practitioners provides actionable intelligence on how security practitioners should best shape their defensive strategy.
To learn more about attacker behaviors, tools and techniques, read the Active Adversary Report for Security Practitioners on Sophos.com.
Airtel Nigeria, telecom service provider, has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert Service issued over 9.6 million spam alerts between March 13 and May 20, 2025.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.
In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.
Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.
Airtel Nigeria is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
Commenting on this development, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.
“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.
“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh said.
The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.
Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.
The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.
Vitel Wireless Limited, pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Nigeria has made another history by announcing the successful completion of interconnectivity with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Recall that Vitel Wireless, became the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator to receive a dedicated number series (0712) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This breakthrough enables Vitel Wireless subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile Nigeria.
It also marks the first time an MVNO in the country has successfully interconnected with all the major MNOs, setting a new precedent for Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Following the NCC’s licensing of 46 MVNOs, Vitel Wireless continues to lead the way in establishing a dynamic MVNO sector in Nigeria—Africa’s largest market and most populous nation.
The company has already achieved several historic firsts: the first MVNO issued a numbering plan and national and international routing codes, the first to launch a location awareness network in Africa, and the first to unveil a strategic nationwide rollout plan.
“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless.
“We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”
Interconnectivity was achieved through a combination of direct fiber connections with some MNOs and indirect routing via third-party providers.
This milestone was the result of a collaborative effort involving engineers from Vitel Wireless, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL), and Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria (ICN), working closely with engineers from MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile.
“We wish to thank the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, for their timely interventions and guidance, which were instrumental in achieving this interconnectivity and bringing the formal launch of the Vitel Wireless nationwide network one step closer to reality,” said Nwabueze.
The company entered a nationwide pilot phase in May 2025, with plans for a full rollout in July 2025, aiming to deliver next-generation mobile services to millions across Nigeria.
Layer3, One of Nigeria’s foremost ICT solutions providers, has once again solidified its place as a trailblazer in Africa’s technology landscape, emerging as the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and Leadership Award in Cloud Services at the prestigious African Beacon of ICT Leadership and Awards held on May 24, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
This year’s event brought together leading tech innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to recognize organizations making extraordinary contributions to Africa’s digital transformation.
Among the many luminaries in attendance, Layer3 stood out for its 19+ years of consistent innovation, technical excellence, and client-centered service delivery.
Speaking at the event, the organizers praised Layer3’s pioneering work in delivering robust enterprise solutions across sectors, as well as its bold leadership in advancing cloud infrastructure and services across Nigeria and beyond.
“These awards are more than recognitions, they are a reminder of the fulfilment to our mission to deliver peace of mind to our customers,” said David Ita, the Head of Strategy and Business Development of Layer3.
“They speak to the impact we’ve made and the promise we hold for the future of the cloud and enterprise technology business in Africa. We dedicate this honor to our clients, partners, and the hardworking Layer3 team who continue to redefine excellence every day.”
Since its founding, Layer3 has championed a future-forward approach to ICT services offering cutting-edge solutions in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, broadband, cloud computing, managed services, and IT advisory. The company’s Layer3Cloud platform and managed service offerings continue to power the digital ambitions of Nigeria’s leading businesses.
These accolades underscore Layer3’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation and supporting digital economies through smart, secure, and scalable technology.
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