General News
Government, Development Industries Report Threefold Decrease in Critical Cyber Incidents in 2024
According to the latest Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response (MDR) analyst report, government and development industries experienced a significant decrease in the number of high-severity incidents with direct human involvement in 2024, whereas the food, IT, telecom and industrial sectors demonstrated an increase.
The annual Managed Detection and Response (MDR) analyst report provides insights into detected incidents, their nature and their distribution across various industries and geographic regions.
Additionally, it emphasises the most common tactics, techniques and tools used by attackers over the previous year. The data is based on analysis of incidents detected by Kaspersky MDR.
Compared to 2023, the mass media, development and telecoms industries experienced a significant increase in the number of incidents.
However, when examining high-severity incidents – those that feature direct human involvement – the distribution reveals notable differences.
In 2024, the MDR team identified that the majority of high-severity incidents occurred in IT (23%), followed by the government (18%) and industrial sectors (18%).
The report highlights a significant decrease in high-severity incidents within the government and development sectors, while the number of such incidents in the food sector increased.
Additionally, a relatively large rise was observed in the industrial sector, alongside a slight increase in retail, IT and telecoms. Interestingly, despite the mass media sector facing a substantial increase in overall incidents, this trend did not translate into a corresponding rise in high-severity incidents.
This observation shows that many attack attempts were swiftly detected and mitigated, effectively preventing their severity from escalating beyond medium levels.
“In 2024, we revealed a shift in the landscape of cyber threats, with high-severity incidents increasingly concentrated in the food sector, underscoring the necessity for cybersecurity measures in this area.
While the overall number of incidents surged in sectors like telecom and mass media, the resilience demonstrated in swiftly detecting and neutralising potential threats highlights the importance of proactive measures.
As attackers refine their tactics, organisations must adapt by investing in robust cybersecurity solutions that combine advanced technologies with expert oversight,” comments Sergey Soldatov, Head of Security Operations Center at Kaspersky.
To strengthen your company’s protection against sophisticated attacks, deploy robust cybersecurity solutions and hire qualified practitioners to manage them or adopt managed security services such as Managed Detection and Response and Incident Response.
These security services encompass the complete incident management cycle from threat identification to continuous protection and remediation. They assist in safeguarding against evasive cyberattacks, investigating incidents and offering expert support even if a company lacks security workers.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has detained Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, for alleged fraud involving N36.5 billion and $30 million.
Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc,
This follows the probe of alleged diversion of N36.5 billion and $30 million secured as loans from Polaris Bank Plc through companies linked to Ayeni.
He was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on April 23, 2026, and is still been held in custody as at the time of filling the report.
Dele Oyewale, spokesperson, EFCC, confirmed the arrest on Friday but declined to provide further details.
Ayeni is under investigation for diverting funds obtained for marine security, electricity distribution, and real estate projects into other unknown projects.
Investigators allege the loans were instead channelled into telecom investments tied to NITEL/MTEL assets via a NATCOM account.
About 12 firms believed to be connected to Ayeni are also under investigation for their role in securing the loans.
The EFCC is expected to file charges once the investigation is concluded.
Summit Household Solutions Limited has opened its ultra-modern manufacturing facility in Ota, Ogun State, as part of its efforts to scale production of home and personal care products in Nigeria.
The plant, which started operations in April 2025, produces items such as dishwashing liquids, handwash, sanitisers and multipurpose liquid soaps, with an annual capacity estimated at 7,000 tonnes.
Commissioning the facility on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr Kehinde Akintomide, said the investment reflects growing confidence in Ogun State’s business environment.
He noted that the state hosts over 6,000 manufacturing firms and described the development as consistent with ongoing efforts to promote industrialisation, attract investment and reduce reliance on imports under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope initiative.
Akintomide disclosed that the factory has already employed more than 50 Nigerians, with projections to exceed 250 jobs as operations expand.
In his remarks, the General Manager of the company, Mr Sadiq Ali, said the facility represents a major step in Summit’s growth plans, adding that its flagship brand, 2Sure, currently leads production at the plant.
He also revealed that the company is preparing to introduce new home and personal care products later this year.
Summit Household Solutions manufactures the 2Sure brand and has expanded into the personal care segment with Lewar, a premium beauty soap line positioned for quality and affordability.
Among dignitaries present were the Onikotun of Otun, Ota, Oba Abdulakeem Odunaro, representing the Olota of Ota, Prof. Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege; the Agba Akin of Ota, Chief Dada Olusola; Director of Investment, Ms Yemisi Folarin; Director of Industrial Promotion, Mr Femi Adeboye; former Managing Director of 7Up Bottling Company, Mr Ziad Maalouf; and the Chief Executive Officer of OmniRetail, Mr Deepanker Rustagi.
Speaking at the event, Maalouf, who conceived the 2Sure brand during his time at 7Up Bottling Company, expressed satisfaction with its growth and commended Summit Solutions Limited for advancing the brand.
The special guests were conducted around the facility, and the programme was concluded with a luncheon.
The administration of Donald Trump has frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to Iran, marking a sharp escalation in financial pressure on Tehran.
The move comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts and a fragile ceasefire in the region.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that authorities are sanctioning multiple crypto wallets tied to Iran. “We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” he said.
Tether, which facilitated the transactions, said it worked with U.S. authorities to freeze the funds across two wallet addresses after receiving intelligence linked to unlawful activity.
A U.S. official said blockchain analysis revealed “material links” to the Iranian regime, including transactions routed through intermediary addresses connected to wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran.
Responding to the development, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company does not tolerate illicit use of its stablecoin. “USD₮ is not a safe haven for illegal activity. When there is credible linkage to sanctioned entities or criminal networks, we act immediately,” he stated.
The crackdown underscores the growing reliance of sanctioned states on digital assets to bypass traditional banking restrictions. Data from Chainalysis shows Iran’s cryptocurrency holdings reached $7.8 billion in 2025, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly controlling about half.
Analysts say while the freeze is significant, Iran has historically adapted to sanctions. Daniel Tannebaum of the Atlantic Council noted that targeting third-party actors enabling such transactions may be key to increasing pressure.
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