E-Business
Infostealer Vidar Identified as Most Wanted Malware in January 2023
Check Point Software Technologies, a provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, has published its Global Threat Index for January 2023.
Last month saw infostealer Vidar return to the top ten list in seventh place after an increase in instances of brandjacking, and the launch of a major njRAT malware phishing campaign in the Middle East and North Africa.
In January, infostealer Vidar was seen spreading through fake domains claiming to be associated with remote desktop software company AnyDesk. The malware used URL jacking for various popular applications to redirect people to a single IP address claiming to be the official AnyDesk website.
Once downloaded, the malware masqueraded as a legitimate installer to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, passwords, cryptocurrency wallet data and banking details.
Researchers also identified a major campaign dubbed Earth Bogle delivering the njRAT malware to targets across the Middle East and North Africa. The attackers used phishing emails containing geopolitical themes, enticing users to open malicious attachments.
Once downloaded and opened, the Trojan can infect devices, allowing attackers to conduct numerous intrusive activities to steal sensitive information. njRAT came in at number ten on the top malware list, having dropped off after September 2022.
“Once again, we’re seeing malware groups use trusted brands to spread viruses, with the aim of stealing personal identifiable information. I cannot stress enough how important it is that people pay attention to the links they are clicking on to ensure they are legitimate URLs.
Look out for the security padlock, which indicates an up-to-date SSL certificate, and watch for any hidden typos that might suggest the website is malicious.” said Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software.
CPR also revealed that “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” remained the most exploited vulnerability last month, impacting 46% of organizations globally, followed by “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” with 42% of organizations worldwide. “MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution” came in third with a global impact of 39%.
Top malware families
Qbot and Lokibot were the most prevalent malware last month with an impact of more than 6% on worldwide organizations respectively, followed by AgentTesla with a global impact of 5%.
In Nigeria, Qbot was the most widespread malware this month impacting 18.64% of organisations in the country, followed by Expiro with 10.17% and Nitol with 6.78%.
- Qbot – Qbot AKA Qakbot is a banking Trojan that first appeared in 2008. It was designed to steal a user’s banking credentials and keystrokes. Often distributed via spam email, Qbot employs several anti-VM, anti-debugging, and anti-sandbox techniques to hinder analysis and evade detection.
- XMRig – XMRig is open-source CPU mining software used to mine the Monero cryptocurrency. Threat actors often abuse this open-source software by integrating it into their malware to conduct illegal mining on victims¿ devices.
- Vidar – Vidar is an infostealer that targets Windows operating systems. First detected at the end of 2018, it is designed to steal passwords, credit card data and other sensitive information from various web browsers and digital wallets. Vidar is sold on various online forums and used as a malware dropper to download GandCrab ransomware as its secondary payload.
Top Attacked Industries Globally
Last month, Communications remained the most attacked industry in Africa, followed by Government/Military and then ISP/MSP.
- Communications
- Government/Military
- ISP/MSP
Top exploited vulnerabilities
Last month, “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” was the most exploited vulnerability, impacting 46% of organizations globally, followed by “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” with 42% of organizations worldwide. “MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution” came in third with a global impact of 39%.
- ↔ Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure – An information disclosure vulnerability has been reported in Git Repository. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unintentional disclosure of account information.
- ↑ HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-10826,CVE-2020-10827,CVE-2020-10828,CVE-2020-13756) – HTTP headers let the client and the server pass additional information with an HTTP request. A remote attacker may use a vulnerable HTTP Header to run arbitrary code on the victim machine.
- ↑MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution – A remote code execution vulnerability exists in MVPower DVR devices. A remote attacker can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code in the affected router via a crafted request.
Top Mobile Malwares
Last month, Anubis remained the most prevalent mobile malware, followed by Hiddad and AhMyth.
- Anubis – Anubis is a banking Trojan malware designed for Android mobile phones. Since it was initially detected, it has gained additional functions including Remote Access Trojan (RAT) functionality, keylogger, audio recording capabilities and various ransomware features. It has been detected on hundreds of different applications available in the Google Store.
- Hiddad – Hiddad is an Android malware which repackages legitimate apps and then releases them to a third-party store. Its main function is to display ads, but it can also gain access to key security details built into the OS.
- AhMyth – AhMyth is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) discovered in 2017. It is distributed through Android apps that can be found on app stores and various websites. When a user installs one of these infected apps, the malware can collect sensitive information from the device and perform actions such as keylogging, taking screenshots, sending SMS messages, and activating the camera, which usually used to steal sensitive information.
Check Point’s Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence.
ThreatCloud provides real-time threat intelligence derived from hundreds of millions of sensors worldwide, over networks, endpoints and mobiles. The intelligence is enriched with AI-based engines and exclusive research data from Check Point Research, the intelligence and research Arm of Check Point Software Technologies.
Google’s 2024 Ads Safety Report revealed how artificial intelligence is now a frontline defense against harmful online content, blocking 5.1 billion ads, restricting 9.1 billion more, and suspending over 39 million advertiser accounts, most before a single ad was shown.
The crackdown comes as scams become more sophisticated, with many leveraging AI-generated content or impersonating public figures.
Google’s advanced AI models, powered by Gemini, helped detect fraud faster than ever, spotting signs like stolen payment info, fake businesses, or coordinated scam networks.
In Africa, including Nigeria, the impact is especially important. Impersonation scams and misleading political ads remain a major concern.
In response, Google updated its Misrepresentation policy, deployed a team of 100+ global experts, and took down over 700,000 scam-related advertiser accounts, leading to a 90 percent drop in reported impersonation scams.
With nearly half the world voting in 2024, Google also removed over 10 million election-related ads for failing to meet transparency rules requiring verified identities and clear sponsorship disclosures.
In his reaction, Alex Rodriguez, general manager for Ads Safety at Google, said these numbers show what AI can do when it’s focused on safety.
“We rolled out more than 50 AI model upgrades in 2024, helping us act faster and smarter—stopping threats before users even saw them,” Rodriguez added.
While AI handles large-scale enforcement, human reviewers now focus on complex cases.
Google continues working with global regulators, industry partners, and organizations like the Global Anti-Scam Alliance to keep ahead of evolving threats.
E-Business
DG NITDA Tasks Africa to Lead the AI Revolution Through Strategic Leadership, Inclusive Innovation
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has urged industry leaders across the continent to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their business, organisational, and operational models to unlock new opportunities, redefine leadership, and drive smarter decision-making toward making Africa deeply rooted in AI-driven innovation.
Inuwa made this call when he spoke on “Harnessing AI for Strategic Leadership” during a panel session at the Main State of the GITEX Africa 2025 held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The aim of the panel session was essentially to explore how data-driven and intelligence-led strategies can transform business models, optimise resources, and unlock new opportunities through AI-powered processes across various nations.
Speaking to an international audience of policymakers, technologists, and investors, the DG positioned Africa, particularly Nigeria as a rising force in the global AI landscape, championing a people-first and strategy-led approach to AI development and governance.
The DG argued that to be effective in today’s dynamic environment, leaders must evolve into AI-driven leaders and leverage technology not just as a tool, but as a partner in decision-making.
“AI is shifting the skills we value today, as well as the processes we use to do our daily work, so to drive strategic leadership, you need to be an AI-driven leader and find a way to use AI as a tool to create co-intelligence whereby you bring people and computers to work together to deliver your strategic vision as a leader,” he noted.
While urging leaders to combine AI with the unique strengths of their teams to deliver real business value, Inuwa stated that “Strategy must always come first, and technology second.”
He outlined four principles for effectively utilising generative AI which are inviting AI to the tale, maintaining human oversight, designing models with guardrails, and adopting a mindset of continuous improvement.
Inuwa explained that AI is invited to the table by giving it a role in organisational tasks, maintaining human oversight to correct bias and misjudgment, designing guardrails to ensure privacy ethics, and inclusivity, and adopting a mindset of continuous improvement by treating today’s AI as the least capable version that can be used.
He however warned against the risks of deploying AI systems built on data that fails to represent the diverse realities of global societies. Stressing the need for digital visibility of all cultures and citizens, he cautioned that if data doesn’t see a community, the system won’t see it either.
Introducing NITDA’s approach to governance in regulating AI through the Regulatory Intelligence Framework that is anchored on the 3 pillars of Awareness, Intelligence and Dynamism.
“In our approach to regulating AI in governance, we have a framework we call Regulatory Intelligence Framework, which as a regulator we need to be aware of the environment, we need to be dynamic because things change, and we also need to be intelligent. We need to know the data and make sense out of it,” he disclosed.
“Then we have 2 approaches, the first one is a rule-based where you can come up with certain guidelines and expect people to comply with them and we have a non-rule based, which allows them to build use cases, and based on those use cases, put the guard rails and agree on the best practices, which is always the best when it comes to AI governance,” he added.
Envisioning Africa’s AI future in the next 5 years, Inuwa painted a visionary picture where the continent will integrate AI into solving real-world challenges in every economic sector thereby leapfrogging development gaps.
Inuwa firmly averred that by augmenting human capability with AI, the continent can unlock unprecedented levels of innovation, efficiency, and inclusive growth.
“We missed the first, second, and third industrial revolutions, but this fourth one, we must lead it and not just follow.” He concluded.
Other industry leaders who shared their experiences and insightful ideas at the panel session were the Special Envoy on Technology, Republic of Kenya, Philip Thigo, CEO Pesalink, Gituku Kirika, and the Head of Africa, Open AI, Emmanuel Lubanzadio.
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and needs urgent reforms to revive it, according to Isaac Kekemeke, board chairman of the service.
Kekemeke, who spoke at a workshop organised for NIPOST staff in Abuja yesterday, added that it is now time to go the whole hog to reform and make NIPOST fulfill its destiny to compare and compete favourably with multinational postal agencies.
“The approach may not be palatable at all times but we need to take the tough but necessary decisions to exit the intensive care unit. We are either out of ICU in good health or head for the morgue. NIPOST either functions effectively now as a commercialised state operator or gets privatised, so that myself, the PMG, and a good number of you risk the loss of our jobs,” the chairman said.
No doubt, he added, “Change is not always easy as many loathe change because of the uncertainty it brings but it is in my place to urge you all to embrace the change we advocate.”
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