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Lagos Unveils Cyber Security Toolkit for Small Businesses
The Lagos State Government on Friday announced the introduction of a cyber security toolkit for small business, a free online resource that small businesses can use to significantly reduce their cyber risk and curtail incidences of cybercrime.
The toolkit, which is a joint effort between the State Ministry of Justice and the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), is an international, cross-sector effort dedicated to eradicating cyber risk and improving the connected world, while the toolkit also provides real-world tools and clear directions for taking immediate action for reducing cyber risk at a time when the need for such resources has never been greater.
Speaking at the launch of the toolkit, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem (SAN) described the toolkit as a great asset to small businesses, saying that the development would go a long way to tackle the menace of cybercrimes.
According to him, “The major driving force for the deployment of the cyber security toolkit for small businesses in Lagos State is its apparent potential to reduce cybercrime which in-turn has a significant impact on our collective gains as a Ministry that focuses on creating a crime free society.
“The nature of cybercrime goes beyond national boundaries; hence, there is need for international initiative and concerted trans-border joint actions in fighting cybercrime and also providing bulwarks against its perpetration.
“To further its cyber security efforts, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice joined GCA as a partner in support of its mission to eradicate global cyber risk. Small businesses are the lifeblood of a community and provide all manner of essential services and support to individuals, enterprise businesses and government. Even though a business may be small, when it comes to cybercrime the risks are great.”
Kazeem added that the toolkit, which would be regularly updated with input from users, industry experts and public and private partners across the globe, was developed in partnership with Mastercard, while the Global Cyber Alliance also partnered with several additional organizations to create the GCA cyber security toolkit, including the Center for Internet Security, the Cyber Readiness Institute, the City of London and the City of New York.
He said as a thriving State, which encourages inward investment and also supports indigenous Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are vulnerable to cybercrime, the initiative was appropriate and timely to the State, assuring that government would further collaborate with relevant stakeholders to make deepen access to the toolkit.
“The Lagos State Government will encourage and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the business community and regulatory bodies to embrace this cybercrime toolkit for small business as a formidable initiative in fighting cybercrimes and related offences.
“To access the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit, visit https://gcatoolkit.org/smallbusiness or the website of Lagos State Ministry of Justice www.lagosministryofjustice.org for a redirection to the GCA Website. The Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the GCA will also be conducting a series of webinars on how to protect your business from cybercrime,” Kazeem said.
At the earlier launch of the toolkit, which took place in New York and London on the 19th February 2019, in reiterating the importance of cybersecurity, City of London Police Commissioner Ian Dyson had said: “As the national lead force for fraud and a founding member of the Global Cyber Alliance, we are always pleased to see new initiatives that will assist businesses in improving their cyber security.
“Businesses lost £6.7 million as a result of social media and email accounts being compromised between April and September 2018.
It’s therefore essential that we, as a force, continue to work closely with businesses as well as the organisations that serve to protect them.”
According to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Manhattan District Attorney, “When we launched the Global Cyber Alliance, we set out to empower organizations of all sizes with the tools they need to prevent cybercrime.
“The Global Cyber Alliance’s free Cybersecurity Toolkit provides small- and medium-sized businesses with immediate, concrete steps to protect their companies and customers against crippling cyberattacks, and I thank each of the public and private partners who contributed their world-class expertise.”
On his part, President and CEO of Global Cyber Alliance, Philip Reitinger, said the significant difference between the firm’s Cybersecurity Toolkit and those of others was the fact that it is an action kit, adding that the focus was on protecting small businesses.
“Our focus is on producing a dynamic clearinghouse of operational tools that help small and medium businesses address risk and improve their cyber security posture, leveraging the deep expertise of our network of global partners, such as Mastercard, and the experiences of actual GCA toolkit users,” Reitinger said.
China has announced the full implementation of a zero-tariff scheme for 53 African countries, including Nigeria, under the Changsha Declaration, further strengthening economic ties within the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The announcement, made by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed a high-level meeting between Chinese officials and African foreign ministers in Changsha. The initiative stems from commitments made during the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC, which focused on building a stronger China-Africa partnership in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
According to a statement released after the meeting, the representatives of China, 53 African nations, and the African Union Commission affirmed their commitment to creating an “all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.”
The declaration highlighted the rising influence of the Global South and underscored the importance of collaboration in advancing development, multilateralism, and equitable global governance. It also criticized growing unilateralism, protectionism, and economic coercion, calling on countries, particularly the United States, to resolve trade disputes through mutual respect and dialogue.
The ministry stressed that African nations face pressing economic and developmental challenges that demand urgent international attention. It urged for increased development assistance, rather than cuts, to support poverty reduction and infrastructure growth across the continent.
In a significant move, China committed to expanding zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of tariff lines for all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing, excluding Eswatini, which has no official diplomatic ties. This will allow greater access for African goods to the Chinese market.
For Africa’s least developed countries, the plan includes enhanced market access measures, streamlined inspection and customs procedures, and increased technical training and trade facilitation.
Additionally, China pledged support for the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with a focus on modernization and sustainable development.
The Chinese government also announced plans to implement the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development, deepen cooperation in green industries, e-commerce, science and technology, artificial intelligence, finance, and legal frameworks.
The statement also reaffirmed plans to strengthen people-to-people ties, including initiatives like the “2026 Year of People-to-People Exchanges.”
In September 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed five memoranda of understanding during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking at the Beijing summit, Tinubu described the China-Africa relationship as a “true testament” to the strength of mutual respect and cooperation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar later confirmed that the agreements signed with China are in various stages of implementation.
In a major leadership transition, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) has announced the retirement of Aliko Dangote, its founder and chairman, from the Board, effective June 16, 2025.
Aliko Dangote
The announcement was made in a regulatory filing with the Nigerian Exchange Ltd on June 11, highlighting the company’s commitment to sound corporate governance and structured succession planning.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Temitope Hassan (FCIS), company secretary and legal adviser, the Board praised Dangote’s extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the company.
“Alhaji Aliko Dangote is one of the founding Directors of the Company and has served with exceptional leadership, integrity, and vision since 2005,” the statement read.
“Under his stewardship, Dangote Sugar Refinery transformed significantly, navigated industry changes, consistently delivered value to shareholders, and upheld strong governance principles.”
Widely regarded as Africa’s most influential industrialist, Dangote led DSR’s evolution into a dominant player in Nigeria’s sugar value chain.
His strategic initiatives, particularly the Backward Integration Projects (BIPs) across Adamawa, Taraba, and Nasarawa States, advanced the company’s self-sufficiency goals and aligned with the federal government’s national sugar master plan.
While stepping down from DSR, Dangote will continue as President of Dangote Industries Limited.
His legacy at DSR is marked by industrial innovation, strategic foresight, and sustained operational excellence.
To ensure a seamless transition, the Board has appointed Mr. Arnold Ekpe, a seasoned independent non-executive director, as the new chairman, effective June 16.
Ekpe is renowned for his tenure as Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, where he championed pan-African financial inclusion and institutional growth.
His extensive experience in banking and corporate governance is expected to strengthen DSR’s next phase of development.
The leadership change signals continuity of vision, with DSR reaffirming its focus on operational efficiency and long-term value creation in a dynamic market.
For shareholders and industry observers, Dangote’s exit from the Board marks the end of a transformational era—one defined by bold ambition and strategic execution—while opening a new chapter under Ekpe’s leadership.
Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis Team researchers have discovered a new malicious campaign which is distributing a Trojan through a fake DeepSeek-R1 Large Language Model (LLM) app for PCs.
The previously unknown malware is delivered via a phishing site pretending to be the official DeepSeek homepage that is promoted via Google Ads.
The goal of the attacks is to install BrowserVenom, a malware that configures web browsers on the victim’s device to channel web traffic through the attackers servers, thus allowing to collect user data – credentials and other sensitive information. Multiple infections have been detected in Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, India, Nepal, South Africa and Egypt.
DeepSeek-R1 is one of the most popular LLMs right now, and Kaspersky has previously reported attacks with malware mimicking it to attract victims. DeepSeek can also be run offline on PCs using tools like Ollama or LM Studio, and attackers used this in their campaign.
Users were directed to a phishing site mimicking the address of the original DeepSeek platform via Google Ads, with the link showing up in the ad when a user searched for “deepseek r1”.
Once the user reached the fake DeepSeek site, a check was performed to identify the victim’s operating system. If it was Windows, the user was presented with a button to download the tools for working with the LLM offline. Other operating systems were not targeted at the time of research.
After clicking on the button and passing the CAPTCHA test, a malicious installer file was downloaded and the user was presented with options to download and install Ollama or LM Studio.
If either option was chosen, along with legitimate Ollama or LM Studio installers, malware got installed in the system bypassing Windows Defender’s protection with a special algorithm.
This procedure also required administrator privileges for the user profile on Windows; if the user profile on Windows did not have these privileges, the infection would not take place.
After the malware was installed, it configured all web browsers in the system to forcefully use a proxy controlled by the attackers, enabling them to spy on sensitive browsing data and monitor the victim’s browsing activity.
Because of its enforcing nature and malicious intent, Kaspersky researchers have dubbed this malware BrowserVenom.
“While running large language models offline offers privacy benefits and reduces reliance on cloud services, it can also come with substantial risks if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the popularity of open-source AI tools by distributing malicious packages and fake installers that can covertly install keyloggers, cryptominers, or infostealers.
These fake tools compromise a user’s sensitive data and pose a threat, particularly when users have downloaded them from unverified sources,” comments Lisandro Ubiedo, Security Researcher with Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team.
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