E-Business
Dell Collaborates Secureworks, CrowdStrike on Endpoint Security Portfolio
Cyber criminals are continuously shifting their attack techniques to better target endpoints. As more than one-third (39 percent) of cyber attacks are now non-malware based, adversaries can exploit gaps in traditional antimalware solutions used in isolation.
Considering 50 percent of organisations also have insufficient endpoint or network visibility during incident response engagements, it’s clear many businesses are injecting ineffective security tools into their environments, ultimately adding complexity without directly addressing the problem.
These disconnected solutions require ongoing diligence and expert resources to analyse a multitude of security alerts and identify compromised devices. Yet, with the growing cybersecurity skills gap, businesses don’t have the resources needed to manage their security infrastructure effectively.
To help organisations address these challenges, Dell is introducing Dell SafeGuard and Response, a portfolio of next-generation endpoint security solutions that combines the managed security, incident response expertise and threat behavioural analytics of Secureworks® with the unified endpoint protection platform from CrowdStrike. Dell’s modern and effective approach designed to prevent, detect and respond to the shifting threat landscape makes it easy for organisations to protect their data with the industry’s most secure commercial PCs.
With AI-driven and cloud-native endpoint protection powered by CrowdStrike and expert threat intelligence and response management by Secureworks, Dell SafeGuard and Response provides customers with the essential capabilities they need to protect their PCs and data.
CrowdStrike endpoint security solutions prevent more than 99 percent of malware and non-malware-based threats4, detect 100 percent of vulnerabilities4, and respond to sophisticated attacks rapidly. Secureworks’ RedCloak™ behavioural analytics are built into the prevention, detection and response capabilities, so customers benefit from an ever-smarter network effect of protection. When an emerging threat is discovered in one environment, countermeasures are created and deployed to all customers who may be affected.
With Dell SafeGuard and Response, customers no longer need to worry about complex implementation involving numerous agents. Dell’s modern approach to security simplifies the buying process, allowing customers to order these new solutions alongside their new PC.
Businesses will receive outstanding prevention combined with the ability to quickly detect compromised devices and remediate cyber incidents.
Customers can select from the following new Dell SafeGuard and Response solutions to meet their unique security needs:
- CrowdStrike Falcon Prevent™: This next-generation antivirus (NGAV) solution uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to stop malware and malware-free attacks, offering organisations enhanced protection without requiring signatures and the heavy updates that come with them.
- CrowdStrike Falcon Prevent and Insight: In addition to the NGAV solution, customers can advance their threat prevention capabilities with Device Control and Falcon Insight™, the leading endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution.
This enables full visibility into endpoint threat activity and real-time remediation designed to prevent, detect and investigate incidents and stop threats.
- Secureworks Managed Endpoint Protection: Combined with CrowdStrike Falcon Prevent and Insight and Device Control, this offering provides customers with 24×7 managed services from Secureworks to monitor the state of endpoints for indications of threat actor activity.
Secureworks Security Operations Center and Counter Threat Unit™ will investigate events to determine severity, accuracy and context to suggest remedial actions, giving organisations peace of mind around the clock.
- Secureworks Incident Management Retainer: In the event of a serious security incident, Secureworks will deploy its On-Demand Incident Response Specialist Team who are highly skilled to respond to and mitigate a cyber incident at any time.
Now, organisations with and without security operations centres can have the support and expertise needed in critical times. This service can also be used to build a proactive response plan for future security incidents.
“Organisations are faced with what may feel like an exponentially expanding threat landscape and a mixed bag of solutions to fix it,” said Brett Hansen, vice president and general manager of client software and security solutions, Dell. “To meet the evolving needs of our customers and stay ahead of ever-evolving threats, Dell is offering organisations the tools they need to keep their devices and data secure.”
“Attacker techniques are getting more sophisticated and customers need managed solutions that are actively guarding against threat activity.
“Our modern approach with Dell ensures a coordinated defence against cyber threats at the scale and speed required for any customer’s evolving security needs beyond the network,” said Wendy Thomas, senior vice president of business and product strategy, Secureworks.
“Being selected by Dell is a testament to CrowdStrike’s market leadership and the proven value of our platform.
“Together, we are equipping customers with a unique and compelling solution to deliver an end-to-end approach to endpoint security that effectively stops threats, while reducing enterprise complexity and modernising threat detection and management,” said Matthew Polly, vice president of Worldwide Business Development and Channels, CrowdStrike.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has emphasized that data privacy, protection, and cybersecurity are “inseparable pillars of the digital age” and must be prioritized in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC
Dr. Olatunji made this assertion during his keynote address titled “Data Privacy and Protection: Nigeria’s Roadmap to Compliance” at the ongoing National Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja.
He underscored that while data protection focuses on safeguarding personal information from misuse, cybersecurity protects the systems that store this data. “Data privacy is a basic human right that empowers individuals to control how their personal information is collected, used, and shared,” he said.
“Strong cybersecurity is essential to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data. Conversely, robust data protection frameworks help guide effective cybersecurity practices and foster a culture of privacy.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s progress, Dr. Olatunji noted the country’s recent Tier 3 (“establishing”) ranking in the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index and its top position in Africa particularly in the area of data protection. He traced the evolution of Nigeria’s data protection journey, culminating in the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).
He described the NDP Act as the cornerstone of the country’s data governance framework. “The Act regulates the processing of personal data in Nigeria and guarantees the privacy rights of individuals,” he explained.
It applies to both local and international data controllers and processors handling data of Nigerian subjects and provides clear guidelines on data collection, storage, consent, data subject rights, and penalties for non-compliance.
Dr. Olatunji cited the recent ₦766.2 million fine imposed on MultiChoice for non-compliance as an example of the Commission’s enforcement capacity. He also revealed that the NDPC has generated over ₦2 billion in the last two years, with the data protection sector now valued at ₦16.2 billion alongside the creation of numerous job opportunities.
He further highlighted ecosystem growth, citing the certification of 455 Data Protection Officers (DPOs) under the National Certification Program and verification of 3,343 Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) by 2025.
While celebrating progress, Dr. Olatunji also pointed to key areas for improvement, including building institutional capacity, enhancing data literacy and workforce development, and strengthening collaboration across sectors.
In conclusion, he urged stakeholders to “embrace a culture of data protection, implement robust cybersecurity practices, and stay attuned to the evolving regulatory landscape” in order to reduce risks, protect assets, and support long-term national growth.
In today’s digital world, QR codes are placed on almost everything – from yogurt containers and restaurant menus to museum exhibits, and even utility bills and parking lots.
People use them to open websites, download apps, collect loyalty programme points, make payments and transfer money, and even for charity donations. The accessible and practical technology is convenient for many, including cybercriminals, who have already rolled out a variety of QR-based schemes.
Kaspersky experts have identified the top security risks when scanning QR codes:
- Phishing and redirection to malicious sites: QR codes can direct users to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal or financial information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. Attackers can impersonate legitimate sites, such as banks or streaming services, and trick users into entering their credentials.
- Malware download: Some QR codes can trigger the download of malicious applications that compromise the security of the user’s device, especially if it is not protected against unauthorised installation.
- Payment fraud: During special events or sales periods like holiday sales, a fake QR code can redirect users to make payments to fraudulent accounts.
- Unsafe automatic connections: A QR code can also automatically connect the user to Wi-Fi networks controlled by cyber attackers, allowing them to intercept their communications.
“QR codes are a fertile ground for potential manipulation, especially as they appear in various everyday contexts such as receipts, flyers, and signage. Attackers have nearly endless possibilities to exploit them.
“As these codes have already become an integral part of our daily lives, it is essential for users to know how to use them safely and responsibly,” says Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel for META at Kaspersky.
In order to not fall for a scam when scanning a QR code, Kaspersky experts recommend:
- Verify the source: Scan QR codes only from trusted and known sources. Avoid scanning codes in public places that may have been tampered with.
- Check the URL: If you really need to scan a publicly available code, verify that the web address it directed you to is legitimate before taking any action on this website.
- Don’t share personal information: Avoid entering sensitive information if you’re not completely sure of the origin of the QR code.
- Protect your digital life: Install a cybersecurity solution with anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection, such as Kaspersky Premium, on all your devices; it will alert you to any danger timely.
Kaspersky is addressing one of the most debatable technological challenges of the coming decade: the rise of quantum computing and its potential impact on digital security.
In this context, experts have identified the main quantum threats that demand immediate action from the cybersecurity community.
As classical computers approach their physical limits, their performance growth is slowing — constraining progress in areas that depend on complex computation.
At the same time, quantum computers offer the potential to solve specific problems far faster than classical systems. For now, however, their practical use remains limited to narrow and experimental domains.
Nevertheless, experts estimate that we may see a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer within the next decade — a development that could unlock significant advances, but also unleash a new era of cybersecurity threats.
Supporting this urgency, Deloitte’s 2024 Global Future of Cyber Survey reports that 83% of organizations are already assessing or taking steps to address quantum computing risks, demonstrating growing awareness and proactive strategies in the private sector.
To better understand the scope of the evolving threat, Kaspersky has identified three of the most urgent quantum-related risks that demand action from the cybersecurity community:
The top three risks:
Quantum computers could be used to compromise the traditional encryption methods that currently protect data in countless digital systems — posing a direct threat to global cybersecurity infrastructures.
Threats include the interception and decoding of sensitive diplomatic, military, and financial communications, as well as the real-time decryption of private negotiations – something quantum systems could handle much faster than classical machines, turning secure conversations into open books.
- Store now, decrypt later: the key threat of the coming years
Threat actors are already harvesting encrypted data today, with the intention of decrypting it in the future once quantum capabilities advance. This “store now, decrypt later” tactic could expose sensitive information years after it was originally transmitted — including diplomatic exchanges, financial transactions, and private communications.
- Sabotage in blockchain and cryptocurrency
Blockchain networks are not immune to quantum threats. Bitcoin’s Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), is especially vulnerable.
Potential risks include forging digital signatures, which threatens Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies; attacks on ECDSA that secure crypto wallets; and tampering with blockchain transaction history, undermining trust and integrity.
- Quantum-resistant ransomware: a new front
Looking ahead, developers and operators of advanced ransomware may begin adopting post-quantum cryptography to protect their own malicious payloads. So-called “quantum-resistant” ransomware would be designed to resist decryption by both classical and quantum computers — potentially making recovery without paying a ransom nearly impossible.
At present, quantum computing does not offer a way to decrypt files locked by current ransomware. Data protection and recovery still rely on traditional security solutions and collaboration among law enforcement agencies, quantum researchers, and international organisations.
Building quantum-safe defenses
Quantum computers are not yet a direct threat — but by the time they are, it may be too late to respond. Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography will take years. Preparations must begin today.
The cybersecurity community, IT companies, and governments must coordinate to address the risks ahead. Policymakers should develop clear strategies to migrate to post-quantum algorithms. Businesses and researchers need to begin implementing new security standards now.
“The most critical risk lies not really in the future, but in the present: encrypted data with long-term value is already at risk from future decryption. The security decisions we make today will define the resilience of our digital infrastructure for decades.
“Governments, businesses, and infrastructure providers must begin adapting now, or risk systemic vulnerabilities that cannot be retroactively fixed,” states Sergey Lozhkin, Head of Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis Team for META and APAC.
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