E-Business
How and Why Cyberoam Released CYREN Internet Threats Report is Serious
Although the third quarter of 2014 was dedicated to celebrity account hackings and corporate data breaches, by the end of the quarter, it was clear that no system is perfect with the announcement of the Shellshock bug affecting the BASH shell.
Cyber criminals also used global tragedies, such as Ebola and airline disasters, to further enhance their phishing, spam, and malware distribution efforts.
Cyberoam, in collaboration with its partner, CYREN brings you a detailed report with recent web malware and spam trends for the third quarter (Jul-September 2014).
According to the report, the Apple iCloud celebrity data breach made news, but in the wake of the same, CYREN attempted looking a little deeper into the cybercrime targeted at the Apple device market.
CYREN analytics observed an increase in Apple users being targeted.
One prominent message the celebrity phishing-photo scandal left behind was that Apple users are an increasing target for scams and hacking.
While the iOS and OSX operating systems still remain relatively safe, more and more individuals globally are buying Apple devices and using Apple services, which could account (in part) for the increased targeting of Apple users.
There are currently more than 800 million Apple IDs in use.
Over 300 million individuals hold iCloud accounts, giving them access to 5 GB of online storage, as well as email, calendar, and photo stream.
And, phishing attacks are at least three times more likely to be successful on a smart phone than on a desktop or laptop.
On top of increased phishing, CYREN noted that Apple initiated a new email alert campaign shortly after the celebrity attacks.
It informed Apple iCloud users that their Apple ID was recently used to sign into an iCloud account. While the email is entirely legitimate, it provided scammers the opportunity to imitate an official large-scale email campaign.
The report also discusses Apple iPhone6 adware scams.
The Bash-Shellshock SHELLSHOCK Bug
The report identifies the Bash-Shellshock bug as another story of importance in Q3.
Shellshock exploded on the scene this quarter, making headlines in major newspapers and security blogs.
Discovered by a French security expert in mid-September and disclosed publicly in late September, it has been deemed by many as the “world’s most dangerous Internet security bug.”
CYREN detected Shellshock attacks using the “CGI-based web server attack” technique through a specially crafted HTTP cookie header request field.
Attackers have also used other HTTP request header fields such as ‘User-Agent,’ ‘Accept,’ ‘Referer’ and ‘Host’ to inject the malicious Bash commands.
Tragedy Drives The Headlines
Apart from the Apple scams and Shellshock bug, Cybercriminals also used global tragedies, such as Ebola and airline disasters, to further enhance their phishing, spam, and malware distribution efforts.
A simple click through the leading news websites tells a sad story: More Ebola Victims. Expanding War in the Middle East. Death, Floods, Famine. The list goes on.
The use of “sensationalism” to promote a headline or sell an item is nothing new.
And, in the third quarter, hackers put this technique to good use.
Other highlights from the Q3 2014 CYREN Internet Threats Trend Report included malware and spam trends, top spam topics, as well as a ranking of the top zombie producing countries.
Cyberoam Technologies, a Sophos Company, is a global Network Security appliances provider, offering future-ready security solutions to physical and virtual networks in organizations with its Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) and Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliances.
The virtual and hardware Cyberoam Central Console appliances offer Centralized Security Management options to organizations, while Cyberoam iView allows intelligent logging and reporting with one-of-their-kind, in-depth reports.
E-Business
Expert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
E-Business
Konga launches Infinix Brand Week with Incredible Deals
Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce group, is thrilled to announce the launch of amazing deals at its Infinix Brand Week. Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative products and cutting-edge technology promises exclusive discounts and special offers on select smartphones, marking an exciting milestone in the realm of online shopping.
Shoppers can expect nothing short of extraordinary deals on a wide range of Infinix products, all available exclusively on the Konga online platform. With discounts of up to 30% off, this partnership between Konga and Infinix aims to redefine the shopping experience for tech enthusiasts across Nigeria.
Konga Brand Week has become synonymous with excitement and unbeatable deals, and this year’s edition is no exception. In addition to exclusive discounts on Infinix smartphones, shoppers can explore a diverse array of products across various categories, including electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more.
“At Konga, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best shopping experience possible,” said Rita Ohaedoghasi, VP Marketing at Konga. “The Infinix Week during Konga Brand Week allows us to continue delivering on that promise by offering incredible discounts and special offers on some of the most sought-after smartphones in the market.”
To stay updated on the latest developments and exclusive deals during Konga Brand Week, shoppers are encouraged to connect with Konga across all platforms, including social media and the Konga website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score big savings and elevate your tech game with Infinix and Konga.
E-Business
Study Reveals Software Programmers to make Full Use of AI Code Assistants
Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of enterprise software engineers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) code assistants, up from less than 10 percent, currently.
According to a Gartner poll of 598 global respondents conducted in the third quarter of 2023, 63 percent of organisations are now testing, deploying, or have previously implemented AI code assistants.
AI code assistants provide for more capabilities than only code development and completion, notes the research firm.
According to Gartner, the use of AI code assistants can lead to higher work satisfaction and retention, resulting in lower turnover costs.
Philip Walsh, senior principal analyst at Gartner, comments: “Software engineering leaders must determine ROI and build a business case as they scale their rollouts of AI code assistants.
“However, traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner notes that software engineering leaders must “reframe the ROI conversation from cost reduction to value generations”.
Walsh adds: “Calculating time savings on code generation is a good place to begin building a more robust value story. To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
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