E-Business
One key to many doors: How much value is in your Email address
With the number of global email users projected to grow to 4.73 billion by 2026, email has become one of the most important platforms for communication in the digital age. For many people, an email address is their main digital identity.
Kaspersky examines what fraudsters can do with a person’s email address and how to keep it safe.
“Much like your own name, an email address has an enormous amount of information attached to it. Both our professional and personal email addresses are among major assets of interest to a growing community of sophisticated cybercriminals worldwide,” says Brandon Muller, Technical Expert for the MEA region at Kaspersky.
Most online login forms, portals, e-tailers, and mobile apps require an email address. So, even though hackers need passwords to both an individual’s email and online accounts to access, an email address is an important starting point for them to implement different fraud scenarios.
Cybercriminals can target an individual with phishing emails containing malware attachments or malicious links to fraudulent website. They can also employ sophisticated social engineering techniques to gain personal details like a person’s bank account number, ID number, physical address, phone number or passwords, amongst others.
Spoofing an email address is another risk. This involves creating a fake email address that looks like an individual’s address but has minor and tough-to-spot changes (like swapping a number with a letter or adding a dash).
Hackers can then extort information from that person’s friends and family whilst pretending to be them. This approach is often missed by spam filters on email clients.
What’s more, by using a reverse email search tool, a cybercriminal can discover who owns that specific email address. This can provide them with an important starting point to get as much freely available personal data from a person as possible.
With many people’s emails often containing their name and a memorable number, usually a date of birth, these two identifying factors are enough for many cybercriminals to begin gathering more lucrative personal data online which can be used to steal an identity or commit financial fraud.
Protecting an email address
With the risks that exposure of one’s email address (or addresses) can pose to their personal and professional privacy and wellbeing, it’s important to know how to protect an e-mail address from unauthorised access.
Strong passwords
“One of the best ways for a person to keep their email address safe is to use strong passwords. It is difficult to steal personal information with just an email address and no password. This makes a strong password of around 10 to 12 characters long, containing a mix of special characters, numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, one of the best ways to keep an email address safe,” says Muller.
Memorising passwords, especially to rarely used accounts, might be a challenge, and this is where a Password Manager can become an indispensable tool that works like a private, encrypted vault that only you can unlock. Such a solution is synced up across devices and it helps with auto-filling logins, card payment details, and personal data for forms on any website or app.
Spam filters and blocking
It is important to ensure the email provider’s spam filter is always active. This reduces the likelihood of clicking on a malicious email or link.
However, even with this in place, it is always good to remain vigilant in case such emails make it through the spam filter (which might be the case with spoofing for example) and block and report any suspicious emails to the service provider or the IT team, when it comes to business emails.
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication has become a business and consumer essential. Most trusted email clients offer this service as standard. This security measure requires a person to enter additional identifying information such as a secret answer to a question or an authentication code sent to that user’s mobile phone.
Burner email account
It is also a good idea for a person to use a ‘burner’ email account when signing up to a website or app that looks suspicious. This is an email account with false or very little identifying information that can be scammed and hacked without fear of negative consequences.
Stay vigilant
Educating oneself in cybersecurity best practices is not something that can be done once. People need to stay up to date with the latest training available from the business. Home users should also keep their software up to date and never click on anything suspicious.
“You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone’ – this phrase in most cases applies to e-mails as well. Whether for business or personal use, email has become the foundation of our digital lifestyles.
“People should remember how important it is to keep their email accounts safe while remaining vigilant against a constantly evolving cybercrime environment,” concludes Muller.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration system to allow private firms access company data from the Commission’s database.
Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), registrar general of CAC, who spoke in Abuja at the unveiling said the system would give selected private organizations access to CAC services through technology-based companies, called “super agents.”
“This is a practical step to show that the Commission is committed to meeting the expectations of our customers,” he said.
Magaji explained that the integration allows the agents to retrieve data from the CAC database for use in specific client requests, outside the standard services provided by the Commission.
“Before now, only a few government agencies had this integration, especially those involved in investigations, anti-money laundering, and terrorism financing. Now, private companies that meet the criteria can also access it,” he said.
He said the system complies with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, and information such as residential addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may be restricted.
“This is a call to law firms and companies with the right technology. We’ve started with NIPS because of their credibility. Embassies and banks can now authenticate company records directly through them.”
“There are prescribed fees. We already collect them on our portal, and now customers can also pay through these agents,” he explained.
He named NIPS, MoneyPoint, and OPE as some of the companies involved.
“OPE and MoneyPoint handle only registrations. But NIPS has moved further into validation and verification,” he said.
Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director at NIBSS, who represented Premier Oiwoh, managing director, said the service allows secure and efficient data verification.
“This is the result of years of effort to connect our systems with CAC. It will help users verify data within the limits of data protection laws,” she said.
She said the move is a way to lower costs and promote interoperability across the financial sector.
Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.
The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.
The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.
It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.
Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.
“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.
Fifty selected young unemployed Nigerians have completed a four-week intensive digital skills bootcamp under the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, gaining practical training in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IT Essentials.
The programme, a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco, was hosted at NITDA’s South West Zonal Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa , the Head of the South West Zonal Office, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Agugwo, described the initiative as a vital component of Nigeria’s digital future. “This is not just a closing ceremony. It is the launchpad for new journeys—anchored in digital knowledge and powered by innovation,” she remarked.
According to the Director General, the initiative is rooted in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) and reflects key focus areas including Digital Literacy, Emerging Technologies, and Youth Empowerment. It also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to accelerate economic diversification through digitisation, innovation, and skills development.
Inuwa noted that the DL4ALL initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader commitment to digital inclusion—ensuring that no one is left behind in the evolving digital economy. It also supports the ambitious goal of achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027, championed by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. This national vision aims to equip millions of Nigerians with the skills required to thrive in a tech-driven world.
He further emphasized the importance of empowering youth with globally relevant skills. “They are no longer just consumers of technology. They are creators, innovators, and future employers,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that throughout the bootcamp, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences designed to build both technical proficiency and digital leadership capabilities.
“This is only the beginning,” he stated. “Through our zonal strategy, we are bringing innovation closer to local communities. This is how we democratise access and unlock Nigeria’s full digital potential.”
Inuwa expressed appreciation to Cisco for delivering high-impact training and called on stakeholders to continue investing in partnerships, people, and platforms that drive digital inclusion.
He asserted that the newly certified participants are now equipped to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital economy—armed with the skills to build solutions, secure infrastructure, and launch tech ventures that solve real-world problems.
At the end of the bootcamp, participants demonstrated their knowledge through impressive presentations that showcased the integration of skills acquired across Data Science, AI, and IT Essentials. Many spoke passionately about how the programme had expanded their technical competence and sparked a drive to create job opportunities—not only for themselves but also for others—as entrepreneurs and digital solution providers in their communities.
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