E-Business
IBM Promotes Safe & Secured Computing, Releases Advanced Security Software Application
The era of complex, disaster-prone computing might just be over, or perhaps, around the corner. These days, computing is as much about people (the soft issues) as it is about devices (hard issues).
Our personal habits, our income levels and resources, our education of certain things (or ignorance, as the case may be), our work place practices, our social norms and the way we live and engage with the larger society generally all help to define how we make use of the available ‘software’ and ‘hardware’ tools in the environment.
The changing global demographic is also a key factor. In a few years, “Generation Y” (those born beginning in the mid-1970s) will make up half of the workforce worldwide.
This population is marked by an increased familiarity and reliance on communications, media and digital technologies — they came of age in a connected world.
In a measured response to this trend, scientists and inventors at IBM began to actively promote the concept of BYOD (bring your own device) many years ago.
BYOD has enormous implications on work place productivity, how companies support alternate work schedules and preferences and even who they are able to recruit.
In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous economy, the dynamic of how people live and work is also changing, albeit slowly. Work used to be a “place”.
Now, work can be any place and everywhere, and the tools to enable these new work practices are increasingly available.
New technology is helping to attenuate some of the key infrastructure issues and challenges facing the country, and companies operating in Nigeria will have to dump their analogue era habits and procedures to embrace this emergent work-life ethic if they are desirous of making full use of employee skills and capabilities.
In this era of social and business networks, connectivity and content creation and consumption is only a click or two away.
The integrity of electronic or digital information and raw data, encompassing data generation, protection and security, is increasingly a major headache for device makers and users alike.
As data consumption habits change – with more and more individuals developing content on mobile devices, and communicating within local and international boundaries with these devices – the question, “how safe and secure is your software environment / infrastructure?” becomes very pertinent.
According to Gartner, a global technology research consultancy, more than 45.6 billion mobile applications were downloaded in 2012.
As the rate of application use on mobile devices increases, securing smartphones and other endpoint devices is a top priority for organizations and Chief Information Security Officers.
The proliferation of consumer and enterprise mobile applications also adds to the dilemma. Organizations cannot always control or restrict the applications installed on user devices, so they must test how applications send and save data.
One of the technology firms at the forefront of solving and embracing this new way of work is IBM, the 101 year old company based in Armonk, New York, USA. IBM recently announced the release of its new security software – the IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS – that can automatically identify where data enters and leaves a mobile application, helping to prevent mobile data leakage.
This new software release builds on IBM’s MobileFirst initiative and expands the company’s strategy to provide organizations with a mobile platform that spans application development, integration, security and management.
Consequently, companies and internet software developers globally can better protect each mobile application release in the face of constant updates. IBM previously announced IBM AppScan for applications running on the Android platform.
Taiwo Otiti, IBM’s country general manager for West Africa said the IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS will be available in markets globally as from March 25..
Otiti acknowledged that for many companies, the pace of mobile application releases and updates can be overwhelming as they try to maintain strict security guidelines and policies. “IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS provides the ability to improve security quality without sacrificing time-to-market of mobile application projects.”
As always with IBM, business-friendly innovations like this new security software often begin life incubating as prototypes and projects in any or several of IBM’s 12 labs located around the world. IBM products therefore undergo rigorous design, development and testing cycles by IBMers beginning with its scientists, engineers, staff and business partners.
This culture of scientific rigor and excellence is one of the reasons IBM has remained at the apex of innovation for decades.
IBM developed its own mobile apps store — WhirlWind — created exclusively for IBMers, many years ago.
WhirlWind currently supports Apple iOS, Google Android and Blackberry devices. It is designed to help employees unleash the power and potential of their smartphones as a productivity tool. The store currently offers more than 500 apps and recently passed the 40,000 download mark.
At the moment, some 120,000 employees access the IBM network through mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops).
Of those, 80,000 are using devices they have purchased on their own, while the remaining 40,000 employees are using company issued devices.
IBM is always mindful of security and how it needs to stay ahead of malware and other threats to its data and that of its clients.
The company has tools in place to protect its data from being compromised, and is implementing other tools on an ongoing basis, realizing that this will always be a moving target.
Organizations need to be able to seize the business potential that mobility promises, said Caleb Barlow, IBM’s director of Application, Data and Mobile Security. He therefore counsels firms to incorporate security into their infrastructure and solutions from the design, development and testing phases rather than leaving security to become an afterthought.
Employees play a significant role in security by employing common sense practices and avoiding risky sites or untrusted networks. IBM has outlined advised practices in its “Secure Computing Guidelines,” similar to what it has in place for social computing and business conduct in general.
The bottom line is IBM will not compromise it network. That means that some devices and applications will be enabled inside of IBM more quickly than others, and some may never be enabled at all.
Nigerian firms and their employees would do well to a take a cue from this global technology company.
A new global survey from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) reveals that 52% of marketing leaders believe generic top-level domains (gTLDs – the three characters or more that come after the dot in a URL) have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online; however, a knowledge gap is preventing many brands from taking advantage of the opportunities that a gTLD can bring.
The research surveyed over 2,000 marketing leaders across eight countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, U.K., and U.S.) with the purpose of creating a picture of the evolving digital marketing landscape and understanding the levels of awareness around gTLDs.
It comes as ICANN prepares to open the next application window for new gTLDs in April 2026 the New gTLD Program: Next Round – the first opportunity in more than a decade for organizations to apply to operate their own gTLD.
Top-level domains are the letters found at the end of an Internet address (with gTLDs including .charity, .menu, .paris and .ceo). Brands can apply to run their own gTLD as a way to indicate the purpose of their organization or to clearly mark a website as being related to their brand.
The research shows that increasing brand awareness and visibility is the top priority for marketing leaders (54%) and that over half believe that gTLDs have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online.
However, the research also shows that almost a third (32%) of marketing leaders surveyed are unfamiliar with gTLDs, which suggests that operating a new gTLD may be a strategic opportunity that many organizations are currently overlooking.
Key findings from the research include:
- After defining a gTLD, 92% of marketing leaders responded that they could see the potential benefits to gTLDs, with enhanced brand differentiation (46%), improved customer trust (45%), better control over online presence (44%), and improved SEO (44%) topping the list.
- 19% of marketing leaders work for organizations that have previously applied for a gTLD.
- Cost concerns (31%), knowledge gaps (27%), and insufficient resources (24%) were identified as the main barriers to application.
- The research revealed notable regional variations, with Nigerian (74%) and Indian (61%) marketing leaders showing the strongest belief in gTLDs’ potential for branding and online presence. In contrast, marketers in China expressed more mixed views, with 50% seeing strong potential but 49% considering gTLDs an unnecessary investment with unclear Return On Investment.
The findings come at a time when marketing leaders are facing significant challenges in standing out from competitors (53%), attracting and engaging the right audience (52%), and keeping pace with digital trends (47%).
A new gTLD can be an innovative tool for commerce and communication. They allow businesses in specific countries, sectors, or niche markets to create an exclusive, descriptive, and memorable label on the Internet.
An entity operating a gTLD can provide its users and customers with an extra measure of confidence in its security and legitimacy online. This can be valuable in today’s environment, where users often don’t know whether they can trust the source on the Internet.
Theresa Swinehart, SVP, Global Domains & Strategy said: “The New gTLD Program: Next Round presents an opportunity for businesses, communities, governments, and others to apply to operate their own secure space online, tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests.
Now is also the moment for brands to consider applying for a gTLD, and this research tells us there is still a lack of awareness. ICANN can help provide information and raise awareness of the Next Round and the opportunity it presents for global communities, organizations, and businesses, including brands.”
To help address the knowledge gap, ICANN is developing resources to help organizations understand the application process and potential opportunities for gTLDs ahead of the 2026 application window. ICANN also offers the Applicant Support Program (ASP), which provides financial and non-financial assistance to eligible applicants.
Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) experts at the 10th annual Cyber Security Weekend – META 2025 held recently, talked about supply chain attacks and reported that by the end of 2024 a total of 14,000 malicious packages were found in open-source projects, a 48% increase compared to the end of 2023. 42 million versions of open-source packages have been examined by Kaspersky throughout 2024 in search for vulnerabilities.
Open-source is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. Popular open-source packages include GoMod, Maven, NuGet, npm, PyPI, and others.
These are tools that power countless applications and help developers easily find, install, and manage pre-built code libraries, making it simpler to build software by reusing code others have written. Attackers take advantage of the popularity of these and other packages.
In March 2025, the Lazarus Group was reported to have deployed several malicious npm packages, which were downloaded multiple times before removal. These packages contained malware to steal credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, and deploy backdoors, targeting developers’ systems across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The attack leveraged GitHub repositories for added legitimacy, highlighting the group’s sophisticated supply chain tactics. Kaspersky’s GReAT also found other npm packages related to this attack. Malicious npm packages could have been integrated into web development, cryptocurrency platforms, and enterprise software, risking widespread data theft and financial losses.
In 2024, a sophisticated backdoor was discovered in XZ Utils versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1, a widely used compression library in Linux distributions. Inserted by a trusted contributor, the malicious code targeted SSH servers, enabling remote command execution and threatening countless systems globally.
Detected before widespread exploitation due to performance anomalies, the incident highlighted the dangers of supply chain attacks. XZ Utils is integral to operating systems, cloud servers, and IoT devices, making its compromise a threat to critical infrastructure and enterprise networks.
In 2024, Kaspersky’s GReAT discovered that attackers uploaded malicious Python packages like chatgpt-python and chatgpt-wrapper to PyPI, mimicking legitimate tools for interacting with ChatGPT APIs.
These packages, designed to steal credentials and deploy backdoors, capitalised on the popularity of AI development to trick developers into downloading them. These packages could have been used in AI development, chatbot integrations, and data analytics platforms, endangering sensitive AI workflows and user data.
“Open-source software is the backbone of many modern solutions, but its openness is being weaponised. The 50% rise in malicious packages by the end of 2024 shows attackers are actively embedding sophisticated backdoors and data stealers in popular packages, which millions rely on.
“Without rigorous vetting and real-time monitoring, a single compromised package can trigger a global breach. Organisations need to secure the supply chain before the next XZ Utils-level attack succeeds,” comments Dmitry Galov, Head of Research Center for Russia and CIS at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.
The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.
Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.
Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.
It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.
Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
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