News
elev8 Partners Microsoft and the MCIT to Launch Qatar Digital Center of Excellence

elev8, the world leader in digital training initiatives, recently launched the Digital Center of Excellence in Doha, Qatar, together with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Microsoft, to accelerate sustainable human development and digital transformation in line with the National Vision of Qatar 2030.
It is a modern training center, the first of its kind in Qatar and the region, located in Msheireb Downtown Doha, joining the global expansion of elev8, which currently operates in Nigeria and Costa Rica. The event was held a few days ago under the auspices of His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies, and a high representation of government officials and private sector executives.
The initiative seeks to create a highly qualified and competitive workforce for a fast-growing, diversified, technologically advanced economy. The center is expected to play a vital role in building the talent pool that will help accelerate the digital transformation of government institutions and private sector companies.
“Digital transformation is no longer an option; Qatar must improve its competitiveness at a regional and global level. Our wise leadership realized this many years ago.
“It has managed to achieve significant milestones in reducing the digital skills gap by launching many partnerships and initiatives, the most important of which is the Digital Center of Excellence, established with our partners Microsoft and elev8.
“These efforts are vital to ensure that more people in Qatar have the advanced digital skills necessary to enable an open and flexible economic environment, capable of competing in a changing world and building a knowledge economy based on research, development, innovation, and excellence in entrepreneurship,” said H.E. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, during his opening speech.
María Balbás, President of elev8, said that the partnership with Microsoft and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology marks a crucial moment in Qatar’s digital transformation journey to create a highly-skilled workforce with essential digital skills for success in the fourth industrial revolution.
“elev8 supports a culture of lifelong learning and fosters curiosity and a passion for learning. We adopt an innovative approach, applying the elev8 active learning methodology so that students acquire knowledge through practical experiences and real-life scenarios.
“The Digital Center of Excellence will equip the inhabitants of Qatar with the necessary skills in cutting-edge technologies for a new digital world, whether they are students, professionals, or business leaders,” she explained.
Mrs. Lana Khalaf, CEO of Microsoft Qatar, concluded that the official launch of the Digital Center of Excellence is an essential milestone in the technology company’s current partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
“Our efforts represent our joint commitment to unlocking opportunities for the people of Qatar in the digital age by developing the technical skills of students as well as those already in the workforce,” she explained.
As part of this collaboration, more than 13,000 people in Qatar have received training and certification in various functions and audiences in just 18 months. Students, teachers, computer professionals, developers, and business leaders.
The Digital Center of Excellence aims to develop the technical skills of students and workers. Through role-based and globally recognized training pathways, the center offers individuals and organizations a professional advantage by providing a range of training and certifications that train, enhance, and retrain current professionals, developers, business leaders, and students in advanced technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.
The opening of the Digital Center of Excellence comes ahead of the commissioning of a new Microsoft Cloud data center in the Qatar region, which will feature enterprise-grade cloud services, combined with data residency, security, and the broadest compliance for organizations and companies in Qatar.
News
Toll Collection on Lagos-Calabar Highway Begins December

Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has announced that a section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be tolled starting in December.
Umahi disclosed this during an interview for a forthcoming State House documentary marking the second anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He said: “By December, we will toll Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway. We project a 10-year return on investment.
“The road has solar-powered lighting and CCTV infrastructure, and offers carbon credit advantages.
“It is more than a road; it is an economic corridor and a catalyst for regional growth.”
According to the minister, 30 kilometres of Section 1 have already been completed, with an additional 10 kilometres in Section 2 nearing delivery. Both segments feature six-lane concrete-paved carriageways, designed to meet modern standards for safety and durability.
Umahi further revealed that construction had commenced on Sections 3 and 3B of the highway, spanning a total of 65 kilometres, covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom.
He described the positive response from local communities as a clear indication of the project’s wide-reaching socioeconomic benefits.
“Just days ago, we flagged off Sections 3 and 3B—65 kilometres in total, covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. The host communities’ excitement speaks to these projects’ transformative impact,” he said.
Umahi also highlighted the administration’s renewed focus on the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, which he noted was part of a broader vision dating back to colonial-era trade plans.
“The Trans-Saharan trade route dates back to colonial-era planning. President Tinubu is now bringing these long-abandoned visions to life,” the minister explained.
News
Kaspersky Uncovers Dero Crypto Miner Spreading via Exposed Container Environments

Kaspersky Security Services experts have identified a sophisticated cyberattack campaign targeting containerized environments to deploy a miner for the Dero cryptocurrency.
The attackers abuse exposed Docker APIs — parts of Docker, an open-source container development platform. In 2025, there are a significant number of Docker API default ports that are insecurely published, accounting for almost 500 occurrences worldwide on average each month.
In the discovered campaign, cybercriminals inject two types of malwares into the compromised systems: one is the miner itself and the other is a propagation malware that can spread the campaign to other insecure container networks.
Kaspersky experts discovered this malicious campaign as part of a compromise assessment project. According to expert estimates, any organisation that operates containerized infrastructure — while exposing Docker APIs without robust security controls — can be a potential target. These may include technology companies, software development firms, hosting providers, cloud service providers and more enterprises.
According to Shodan, in 2025, there are 485 published Docker API default ports¹ worldwide each month on average. This figure illustrates the campaign’s potential attack surface by tallying the “entry points” — or insecurely exposed ports that attackers might target.
Once attackers identify an insecurely published Docker API, they either compromise existing containers or create new malicious ones based on a legitimate standard Ubuntu image. They then inject two malware types into the compromised containers: “nginx” and “cloud”.
The latter is a Dero cryptocurrency miner, while “nginx” is a malicious software that maintains persistence, ensures execution of the miner and scans for other exposed environments. This malware allows attackers to operate without traditional Command-and-Control (C2) servers; instead, each infected container independently scans the Internet and can spread the miner to new targets.
“The campaign has the potential for exponential growth of infections, with each compromised container acting as a new source of attack, if security measures are not immediately put in place in the potentially targeted networks,” explains Amged Wageh, an incident response and a compromise assessment expert at Kaspersky Security Services.
“Сontainers are foundational to software development, deployment, and scalability. Their widespread use across cloud-native environments, DevOps, and microservices architectures makes them an attractive target for cyber attackers. This growing reliance demands organisations adopt a 360-degree approach to security — combining robust security solutions with proactive threat hunting and regular compromise assessments”.
The attackers embedded the names “nginx” and “cloud” directly in the binary — an inflexible executable file composed of instructions and data for the processor, not for humans. This is a classic masquerading tactic that lets the payload pose as a legitimate tool, trying to deceive both analysts and automated defenses.
News
Manager, Others Arraigned for Allegedly Hacking into Premium Trust Bank’s Server

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, charged five defendants before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into the server of Premium Trust Bank.
The defendants are listed as the bank’s e-payment service manager, Matthew Adeniyi; Kehinde Odeyemi, a nursing mother; Samson Latshin, Bolaji Omotosho and Sunday Okunnola.
They were charged before Justice Alexander Owoeye, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime and unlawful access to the bank’s database.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Mrs. Zeenat Atiku, prosecutor, alleged that they committed the offence between April and May this year, in collaboration with three others, now at large.
Those still at large are Isa Ismaila, Victor Joshua, also known as ‘Oracle’ as well as one other, simply identified as Humble.
According to the charge, the first defendant unlawfully disclosed sensitive credentials, including the bank’s server IP and domain details, to these parties.
She said this enabled an unauthorised access to the bank’s database and the consequent data breach allegedly resulted in financial gains of $10,000.
The prosecutor also alleged that the defendants attempted to intercept the bank’s network and procured a Hewlett-Packard ProBook 440 G9 laptop (serial No. SN#5CD2473N6G) configured to bypass the bank’s security systems.
The anti-graft agency said the alleged offences contravened the provisions of sections 12(1)(b), 27, 28(1)(b)(c) and 28(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Following their pleas, the prosecutor, requested for a trial date and sought an order to remand the defendants in custody.
Meanwhile, the court declined an oral bail by the defence counsel and directed that a formal bail application be filed.
He adjourned the case until June 30, for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian correctional centre, pending bail.
The court, however, added that the defence may apply for an earlier trial date, upon filing their bail applications.
- E-Financial3 days ago
CBN Introduces AML to Fight Financial Terrorism, Gives Banks Deadline
- Telecom3 days ago
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
- Broadcasting3 days ago
Luft Pay TV Launches in Lagos, Promises to Revolutionize Entertainment
- General News3 days ago
Over 250,000 Cyberattacks Disguised as Anime – Report
- E-Financial3 days ago
Peter Obi Denies Secret Meeting with Tinubu over Fidelity Bank
- E-Financial3 days ago
PremiumTrust Bank Reassures Customers of Continued Security after Cyberattack Foil
- E-Financial3 days ago
Fidelity Bank’s N10.5tr assets base reinforces stakeholders’ confidence -Insiders bid for more equity stakes
- E-Business3 days ago
INEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System