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Local Banks Must Find Better Ways to Fight Advanced Attacks- Arbor Networks

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By peter oluka

If there’s one industry we should be most concerned about when it comes to cyber criminals and security, it’s the one that looks after our money.

“The financial services industry is under continual threat from cyber crooks, and the methods they use to try and infiltrate bank security systems are becoming more sophisticated every day,” states Bryan Hamman, Arbor Network’s territory manager for sub-Saharan Africa.

“Fraud and the interception of online transactions statistics are exhausting, with a recent report by Juniper Research saying that by 2020, the value of fraudulent online transactions globally will be close to the equivalent of $25.6 billion, which is double what we’re seeing now.”

The good news is that this threat can be averted, and the theft avoided, says Hamman.

Arbor Networks cites a recent implementation at a multi-national banking group, which began with a frustrated security operations team that was looking for easy, fast network visibility on connections, end-to-end. The organisation’s security information and event management (SIEM) systems weren’t user friendly, detection and queries were taking too long, and it was  missing many banking specific Trojans and malicious activity across the networks.

What this bank needed was a single advanced threat visibility and investigation platform that would: provide end-to-end connection visibility; detect and investigate irregular or malicious activity; support a high performance traffic archive; accelerate user-to-conversation workflows; and provide context-driven investigation.

“The solution they ultimately decided on addressed all five proof points, and local banks are well advised to also look at these as part of their cyber security strategies,” explains Hamman.

Banks need to consider platform solutions that provide real-time flow and packet analysis for connections – end-to-end, he reiterates. “These solutions should be designed with the user in mind, allowing them to easily zoom/pivot on visual representations of new indicators and to automatically correlate network activity.”

He says built-in investigation workflows and an exceptional threat level analysis system with informed analytics will provide visibility into both past and present network activity. In addition, there are modules available that will automatically aggregate related indicators, host profiles and network connections into a single view of an advanced threat.

“South Africa had the most cyber-attacks across Africa in 2014, with losses estimated at around R50 billion,” adds Hamman. “In a world like this, consumers want their bank’s security teams to be able to detect and connect global attack indicators to events in their own network.

“In fact, global threat indicators should be connected to the organisation’s internal traffic systems with the most relevant and dangerous threats being identified early.”

In an economy where every cent counts, and in a world where consumers are becoming more savvy to online risks, they will want their banks to be able to mitigate these risks to their hard-earned cash.

“Enhancing cyber security and protecting information is vital to the continent’s economic well-being, and banks are fast realising the critical role their security infrastructure – or lack thereof – plays in securing this,” Hamman concludes.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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E-Financial

NAICOM, NCRIB Commit to Drive Penetration

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Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, the Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), has reaffirmed the National Insurance Commission’s (NAICOM) commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) to enhance compliance, consumer protection, and broader insurance awareness across the country.

Mr. Omosehin, gave the assurance when he received a delegation from NCRIB, led by its President, Prince Babatunde Oguntade, alongside the incoming President and incumbent Vice President, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement.

Welcoming the delegation, the Commissioner commended the Council for its sustained partnership with NAICOM and applauded its role in advancing industry compliance and professionalism.

He congratulated Prince Aguntade, Mrs. Ezeibe, and Mr. Tope Adaramole, appreciating their contributions towards strengthening consumer protection and broker engagement.

The CFI further congratulated NCRIB on the successful passage of the Nigerian Insurance Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, stressing that enforcement remains the real task ahead. He assured the Council that NAICOM would continue to rely on its collaboration to achieve effective implementation.

Highlighting industry priorities, Mr. Omosehin emphasized the need to expand insurance awareness, improve competence across the market, and ensure operators align with the Digitalization Regulation 2025.

 


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African Parliaments Move to Plug $587Bn Annual Revenue Leakages

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Lawmakers from several African countries converged in Abuja on Monday to collaborate on strategies to block the annual revenue leakages of $587 billion, as reported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in May this year.

African Parliaments Move to Plug $587Bn Annual Revenue Leakages

This comes as Nigeria’s National Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to establishing the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO)—an independent, non-partisan budget office designed to support evidence-based budgeting, comparable to the United States Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The urgency to curb the $587 billion (approximately ₦887 trillion) lost to capital flight across Africa was brought to the fore at the opening session of the 8th Conference of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO), held in Abuja.

In his keynote address, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, stressed that there was no better time for African legislators to confront the continent’s fiscal and governance challenges through effective and efficient legislation.

According to him, revenue leakages—particularly those resulting from corruption, illicit financial flows, and systemic inefficiencies—must be addressed through enhanced budget scrutiny and oversight.

“According to the African Development Bank, Africa loses over $587 billion annually to capital flight—money that flees the continent through corruption, illicit trade, mispricing, and profit shifting by multinational corporations,” Abbas said.

“Corruption alone is estimated to drain about $148 billion annually, while other illicit financial flows—such as trade malpractices and smuggling—siphon away tens of billions more. This is money that should be building roads in Lagos, equipping hospitals in Nairobi, or improving schools in Accra. Instead, it vanishes.”

He noted that Nigeria presents a cautionary example of both the scale of the problem and the urgent need for reform.

“In our public procurement processes—which account for a significant portion of government spending—Nigeria loses an estimated $18 billion annually to financial crimes, roughly 3.8% of our GDP. These leaks could fund countless social programmes.”

Abbas emphasised that budget leakages undermined the effectiveness of government programmes and must be stopped to ensure better outcomes for citizens.

“That is why we are increasing oversight hearings, audit inquiries, and strengthening anti-corruption legislation. Oversight is essential to ensure that limited resources are deployed for the public good,” he stated.

He also highlighted the lack of institutional capacity in many African parliaments, which hampers their ability to effectively scrutinise budgets and monitor public expenditure.

“Without access to high-quality fiscal data and independent economic analysis, legislators cannot adequately hold the executive accountable on complex macroeconomic issues such as debt sustainability and investment efficiency.”

This, he explained, is precisely the gap that Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) are intended to fill.

Abbas stated that Nigeria was responding to these challenges through reforms aimed at strengthening the legislative ‘power of the purse’ and ensuring greater accountability in public finance.

“One of the most significant advancements is our effort to establish the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) as an independent, non-partisan body to support our legislature.

“Let me assure this audience that the National Assembly is fully committed to NABRO’s realisation, full funding, and independence,” he further said.

He added that beyond NABRO, the Nigerian legislature was pursuing a broader fiscal governance agenda: “We are revising our Fiscal Responsibility and Finance laws to enhance budgetary discipline and transparency. We are also empowering our Public Accounts Committees to take decisive action on audit findings.”

Earlier in his remarks, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), described the conference as a critical platform for peer learning and capacity building, aimed at institutionalising evidence-based public finance management.

“I encourage us all to use this conference not only as a platform for exchange, but as a springboard for innovation and renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility,” he said.

Representatives from 16 African countries participated in the conference, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, among others.


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E-Financial

JustMarkets Unveils Revamped IB Program with Flexible Commissions, Enhanced Partner Benefits

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JustMarkets, a global multi-asset broker, presented a new version of its Introducing Broker Program.

The upgraded IB structure is designed to give even higher returns, more partner transparency, commission flexibility, long-term growth, and clearer rules, adapted to the current macroeconomic environment.

Let’s see why this program is so groundbreaking and what benefits it offers to each partner.

Benefit #1. Income for 100% of client trading volume

The standout change is the shift from a fixed-per-lot payout to a percentage-based commission model, allowing partners to earn:

  • Up to 45% of the spread on Standard, Standard Cent accounts.

  • Up to 30% of the spread on Pro accounts.

Such a flexible system helps partners to get rewards for 100% of client trading volume, including scalping, intraday, and other short-term strategies often excluded under traditional fixed-lot programs.

Benefit #2. Higher spreads in times of market volatility

Under the percentage-based model, spreads can increase during periods of market volatility. As a result, commissions will increase, too. Regardless of what traders prefer: gold, oil, Forex, or digital assets, partners can benefit directly from market movement, which makes this program exceptionally profitable during active trading conditions.

Benefit #3. No longer bound by strict MTP rules

Perhaps the biggest frustrations for IBs have been the Minimum Trading Point requirement, which filters out a huge portion of eligible trades. JustMarkets has fully removed it, meaning every completed trade went straight to the partner earnings. This creates a better, more predictable revenue stream, especially valuable for high-frequency traders.

Benefit #4. More tools, transparency, and rewards

JustMarkets has also improved its Partner Area with real-time reporting tools, updated commission details, and full visibility into client spreads directly in the trading terminal. This change aimed to build more trustful broker-traders and broker-partners relationships by showing exactly how commissions are calculated.

To further support growth, the program offers loyalty rewards worth up to $500,000, including cash bonuses, luxury gadgets, and even cars. Nigerian partners also benefit from naira-friendly deposits and withdrawals, as well as access to marketing assets like banners, landing pages, and analytics.

A program built for long-term partnerships

JustMarkets is strengthening its commitment to partner success with a next-level IB program built for today’s market dynamics. This upgrade removes outdated requirements like the MTP, ensuring that every trade contributes to partner earnings. It also features a flexible, percentage-based commission system, offering up to 45% of the spread for all instruments, from gold and oil to Forex and digital assets.

According to Yasser Mansour, who is JustMarkets Senior Key Account Manager, all these changes were made with partners and traders in mind:

“We did everything to deliver a fairer, more adaptable, and more rewarding partnership model. Our team believes that traders and partners are the heart of every innovation and service we work on. The revamped IB program is a great tool for partners to get new opportunities, grow their businesses, and succeed in highly volatile markets. Our sincere aim is to provide the most transparent and rewarding partnership environment for partners and traders worldwide.”

To start using the JustMarkets Trading app, simply register and download it on your Android or iOS device.


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