E-Business
iConcepts Boosts Mobile Marketing with New Technology
Imagine Concepts Limited (iConcepts), a mobile marketing and technology company, in its commitment towards expanding the frontier of mobile communication in Nigeria, has introduced a unique product into the mobile communication market space with the launch of Hypertag.
Hypertag is a small electronic device that stores mobile digital content and enables the content to be downloaded into a mobile phone. It is a new global proximity marketing technology which brings the brands and the consumers together, by enabling the brands to reach their consumers with messages.
Ugo Okoye, managing director, iConcepts, said the introduction of Hypertag into the mobile marketing industry will no doubt make a big difference in the way brands reach their consumers with tailor-made messages that suit their purpose.
According to Okoye, for the first time, brands using Hypertag can ensure that they reach their target audience at a time and place that puts their messages in a direct and relevant context to the consumer’s current activity.
"The ability to communicate with consumers based on their presence in a fixed time and place is one of the great features of Hypertag as it makes it possible to access people at various points with tailor-made offers precisely to suit them," he said.
Using ubiquitous short-range mobile technologies such as Bluetooth and infra-red, Hypertag can send content such as video, games, music or vouchers, direct to mobile phones quickly and for free based on their proximity to a fixed physical location.
Consumers can receive the message by simply activating the appropriate technology on their phone and stand near the Hypertag in order to receive the content direct to their handset. Hypertag can be used on outdoor advertising panels, mounted on promotional staff as part of experiential activities and in retail point of sale environments.
Hypertags are compatible with over 500 mobile handsets. As each model has its own set of capabilities, the Hypertag detects the type of phone in use and only sends compatible content, maximizing the reach of each campaign. Most types of digital content supported by mobile phones can be sent from a Hypertag. These include, images, animations, ringtones in various formats, music files, video, Java applications and games.
Arinze Asiegbunam, product manager, iConcept added that the beauty of the product is that consumers simply stand near a Hypertag and activate the relevant technology on their handset to receive multimedia content. The service is free for consumers to interact as it doesn’t use their network connection. This also means it can be used in places where there’s no network reception.
The Hypertag uses a continuous discovery process to make interactions as fast and user friendly as possible. Once an opted in phone is discovered the Hypertag starts to deliver content. The user will then usually receive a message such as "Would you like to receive content from brand X?" On confirmation the transfer will then be completed.
For the discerning brand builder, keen on knowing the number of consumers that have been exposed to the message, Okoye noted that Hypertag can provide a record of the number of interactions from each site, and thus make the assessment of the campaign effective.
E-Business
Survey Reveals Marketing Leaders See Strong Potential in gTLDS Despite Knowledge Gap

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.
E-Business
Firm Reports a 48% Increase in Malicious Packages Threatening Software Supply Chains

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.
E-Business
NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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.
- Telecom2 days ago
Glo, Huawei, Communications Ministry Bring Digital Services to Abuja Village
- E-Financial2 days ago
SEC Alerts Public on Silverkuun, Trending Dubious Investment Schemes
- General News2 days ago
Tripoint Travels Hosts Pre-GEC Brunch for Nigerian Delegates Ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2025
- E-Financial2 days ago
Africa Cross-border Payments Set to Hit $1 trillion by 2035
- News2 days ago
PalmPay Launches CSR Initiatives to Empower Women, Foster Financial Literacy in Northern Nigeria
- Telecom2 days ago
Experts @ ABoICT 2025 Warn of Digital Disaster Risks in Nigeria Without AI Governance
- E-Financial2 days ago
SANEF, CIBN Partner to Expand Agency Banking Certification
- Broadcasting2 days ago
DStv Makes History: Inducted into Brand Africa Hall of Fame as Africa’s Most Admired Media Brand