Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

General News

From Hotmail to Outlook.com

Published

on

Aliko Dangote.jpg
Kindly share this post

It is no longer news that hotmail.com now operates as Outlook. Lovers of Hotmail currently use Outlook (Microsoft Office Outlook Connector), which Microsoft provides for free, and available for free download via Microsoft Download Center or as part of Windows Live Essentials pack, to communicate.

To sync between Windows Live Hotmail account and Outlook provides several advantages over HTTP or POP3 connection while using Microsoft office outlook connector, it also allows user to access and manage Hotmail account including e-mail messages, contacts and calendars from within Outlook.

 In Outlook, user can apply Junk Mail filter, rules, alerts, macros and etc. to the synced mail messages.

Hotmail was launched in 1996 and served as delight of internet users then. Meanwhile, the service was acquired by Microsoft the following year, and has gone through myriad changes since then.

For starters, the16-year-old email service is a toast. Microsoft is rebranding the service under the Outlook banner, moving the service to Outlook.com.

The Hotmail site will still be there, and users won’t be forced to make the switch yet, but the message is clear: “Going forward, Microsoft email is called Outlook.

You’ll still be able to keep your Hotmail address, and even use it as the one all your friends and family reply to, but your account will be an Outlook.com account,” an analyst said.

ICT Brands gathered from Patricia McClelland, senior account executive, South Africa Waggeneredstrom, South Africa that components of Outlook.com will actually encourage modern experience for modern browsers and devices hence the service promotes, “A fresh, clean user interface that’s intuitive to use, works across your devices with exchange ActiveSync and gets the clutter out of your way with 60% fewer pixels in the header and 30% more messages visible in your inbox. Plus no display ads or large search boxes that take up that extra space”.

Most interesting new feature of the new Outlook.com is the social integration. For whomever you’re conversing with, Outlook imports their most recent tweets and Facebook updates, along with links to profile pages.

You can even Like, comment, re-tweet and reply straight from the pane. Of course, it’ll only do this if you enable Outlook to scan for public content on either service, something you can disable later.

“Outlook.com preview is connected to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and soon, Skype. You can view pictures of your friends, messages, status updates, chats, calls-all powered by an always up-to-date contact list that is similarly connected to those networks,” McClelland said.

Outlook.com is presently noted as smart and powerful as it can automatically sort ones message from contacts, newsletters, shipping updates, and social updates, and with sweep you can move or delete them in a few clicks.

“Plus, the service includes free office web apps – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, as well as SkyDrive. Puts you in control: Keeps your personal mail personal (no ads in person-to-person mails and no scanning your personal mail to serve ads), and has great tools for power users,” she added.

Of course all the basics are included in Outlook.com, such as virtually unlimited storage and industry-leading spam protection. More so, Hotmail’s business model stood apart from other free-email services by building display ads into the page, forcing users to look at them. Espionage search into the ads platform shows it have been a (small) source of revenue for Microsoft.

The company had held back the service in many ways. Most notably: Hotmail arrived on mobile email apps late and kicking and shattering since once the service is integrated, display ads aren’t visible.

But of late they are literally pushing those display ads on sideways, replacing them with Google-like keyword-based text ads that run along the right side of your message pane. Those ads will be tailored to you based on personal data, and they’ll get even more specific when you click on a message.

Peter Pachal, while sharing his view on the newOutlook’s austere blue-themed design said it, “Will be recognizable to anyone who’s seen Windows Phone or Windows 8, and it makes the whole experience feel much more calm (Hotmail has always been the “noisiest” of the three major email services). And you can switch the blue color for something more to your liking at anytime.

“Two great features about the new look: 1) It keeps things clean by offering you just one action item when you have nothing selected: compose a new message. And, 2) The layout is relatively tight compared to Gmail, minimizing the amount of “chrome,” navigation items and white space on the top of the page. You’re here to see email, so email is front and center, and it still retains Hotmail’s folders (as opposed to Gmail’s labels),” he said.

“Once you get past the layout,” Pachal continued, “though, it becomes pretty clear that the general business of sending and receiving is pretty much the same. This is still email, after all. However, while using the Outlook preview I found that messages don’t quite come in as fast as on Hotmail. This could easily be because of the nature of the preview, but Microsoft might also have some optimizing to do after the transition”.

With the transition to Outlook, are users of the service in for a shock? With time, we will know if Microsoft’s mail services out run others, especially it started by removing things like the big “SkyDrive” icon up top (we’re here for email, thanks).


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

General News

Cybervergent Selected as World Economic Forum’s 2025 Technology Pioneer Company

Published

on

Kindly share this post

In affirmation of its global standing, Cybervergent, a Pan-African technology company that leverages artificial intelligence to transform how organisations manage risk, governance, privacy, and cybersecurity, has been selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Technology Pioneers for 2025—a global cohort spotlighting companies transforming industries through breakthrough technologies and responsible innovation.

The WEF, an international organisation committed to improving the state of the world through public-private collaboration, brings together global leaders to shape economic, technological, and societal agendas. Cybervergent now joins this global community.

The company is recognized for its innovative approach to building digital trust, reimagining how organisations manage cybersecurity, risk, privacy and governance.

Commenting on the company’s milestone, Adetokunbo Omotosho, CEO of Cybervergent, said, “I am honoured that Cybervergent has been named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. This is more than an accolade — it’s a validation of our commitment to redefining cybersecurity, privacy, and risk management to build true digital trust.

“What makes this recognition even more meaningful is the fact that Cybervergent demonstrates innovation in AI and infrastructure can emerge from any region, challenging conventional perceptions.”

Some past recipients of the Technology Pioneer recognition, including Google, Spotify, and Airbnb have gone on to fundamentally reshape global industries.

As a member of the 2025 Technology Pioneers community, Cybervergent will be contributing to discussions shaping cybersecurity, AI, and cyber resilience across industries and the global digital economy.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

Moove Plans to Raise $1.2Bn Debt Round for US Autonomous Vehicle Expansion

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Moove, an African mobility fintech startup, is on a quest to secure a $1.2 billion debt financing round to support the rollout of a fleet of autonomous vehicles.

This is in partnership with Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo in the United States, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter.

The startup has since attracted backing, including from Uber Technologies Inc., and entered a strategic partnership with Waymo in December 2024 to provide financing for self-driving cars.

Ladi Delano, co-founder of Moove, noted that the company has a solid financial track record.

“Moove has built strong relationships with some of the world’s leading lenders. We have also fully repaid our first-ever debt facilities, which signals our maturity and marks a key milestone that demonstrates the strength of our platform as we enter the next phase of global autonomous-vehicle infrastructure deployment,” he said.

The round is reportedly oversubscribed, with strong participation from private credit firms and banks.

Waymo has also not made any official statement regarding the funding round. While final details are expected to be concluded in the coming weeks, the deal will mark a significant milestone for the firm as it ramps up its global ambitions.

Founded in 2020 by Nigerian entrepreneurs, Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, Moove began by providing vehicle financing for ride-hailing drivers in Africa’s largest cities.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

Firm Explores the Evolution of AI-powered Ransomware with Password-gated Capabilities

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Kaspersky experts have revealed the inner workings of FunkSec — a ransomware group that illustrates the future of mass cybercrime: AI-powered, multifunctional, highly adaptive and operating on volume with ransoms as low as $10,000 to maximise profits.

Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) constantly monitors the ransomware threat landscape, where attacks continue to rise. According to the company’s latest State of Ransomware report, the share of users affected by ransomware attacks worldwide increased to 0.44% from 2023 to 2024, up by 0.02 percentage points.

While this percentage may appear modest compared to other cyber threats, it reflects the fact that attackers typically prioritise high-value targets rather than mass distribution, making each incident potentially devastating. Within this evolving landscape, FunkSec has emerged as a particularly concerning threat.

Active for less than a year since its emergence in late 2024, FunkSec has quickly surpassed many established actors by targeting government, technology, finance and education sectors. What sets FunkSec apart is its sophisticated technical architecture and AI-assisted development.

The group packages full-scale encryption and aggressive data exfiltration into a single Rust-based executable, capable of disabling over 50 processes on victim machines and equipped with self-cleanup features to evade defenses.

Beyond its core ransomware functionality, FunkSec has expanded its toolkit to include a password generator and a basic DDoS tool — both showing clear signs of code synthesis using large language models (LLMs).

FunkSec’s approach reflects the evolving landscape of mass cybercrime, combining advanced tools and tactics. Kaspersky’s GReAT experts highlight the key features that define their operations:

Password-Controlled functionality

GReAT experts discovered that FunkSec ransomware features a unique password-based mechanism that controls its operation modes. Without a password, the malware performs basic file encryption, while providing a password activates a more aggressive data exfiltration process in addition to encryption to steal sensitive data.

FunkSec packs full-scale encryption, local exfiltration and self-cleanup into a single Rust binary—without a side-loader or a companion script. That level of consolidation is uncommon and gives affiliates a plug-and-play tool they can deploy almost anywhere.

Use of AI in development

Code analysis shows that FunkSec is actively using generative artificial intelligence to create its tools. Many parts of the code seem to be automatically generated rather than manually written. Signs of this generic placeholder comments (such as “placeholder for actual check”) and technical inconsistencies, like commands for different operating systems that don’t align properly. Additionally, the presence of declared but unused functions—such as modules included upfront but never utilised — reflects how large language models combine multiple code snippets without pruning redundant elements.

“More and more, we see cybercriminals leveraging AI to develop malicious tools. Generative AI lowers barriers and accelerates malware creation, enabling cybercriminals to adapt their tactics faster.

By reducing the entry threshold, AI allows even less experienced attackers to quickly develop sophisticated malware at scale,” comments Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT.

High-volume, low-ransom strategy

FunkSec demands unusually low ransom payments, sometimes as little as $10,000, and pairs this with the sale of stolen data at discounted prices to third parties. This strategy appears designed to enable a high volume of attacks, helping the group quickly establish its reputation within the cybercriminal underground. Unlike traditional ransomware groups that seek million-dollar ransoms, FunkSec employs a high-frequency, low-cost model — further underscoring its use of AI to streamline and scale operations.

Expands beyond ransomware

FunkSec has expanded its capabilities beyond the ransomware binary. Its dark leak site (DLS) hosts additional tools, including a Python-based password generator designed to support brute-force and password-spraying attacks, as well as a basic DDoS tool.

Advanced evasion

FunkSec employs advanced evasion techniques to avoid detection and complicate forensic analysis. The ransomware is capable of stopping over 50 processes and services to ensure thorough encryption of targeted files. Additionally, it includes a fallback mechanism to execute certain commands even if the user launching FunkSec lacks sufficient privileges.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending