The course is developed by Kaspersky AI Technology Research Center and aims to equip cybersecurity professionals with the essential skills to understand, evaluate and defend against vulnerabilities in large language models (LLMs).

The advent of LLMs has revolutionised the way companies develop and interact with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, while simultaneously introducing new and intricate security challenges.

A Kaspersky study has revealed that already in 2024 more than half of companies have implemented AI and Internet of Things (IoT) in their infrastructure. As these technologies become increasingly embedded in corporate systems and processes, understanding how they can be targeted, what vulnerabilities can be exploited for cyber attacks and how to defend against them is no longer optional—it’s a vital skill for cybersecurity professionals.

To address this critical need, Kaspersky has expanded its renowned Cybersecurity Training portfolio with a new online course dedicated to the security of LLMs. Designed to provide a solid foundation in this emerging field, the course equips professionals with the expertise to assess vulnerabilities, implement effective defences and design resilient AI systems. Participants will engage with real-world cases and practical assignments, honing their ability to deploy robust security measures and enhance the resilience of LLM-based applications.

The course draws upon the extensive expertise of the Kaspersky AI Technology Research Center, whose specialists have been dedicated to AI in cybersecurity and secure AI for nearly two decades—advancing the detection and mitigation of a wide spectrum of threats. Led by Vladislav Tushkanov, Research Development Group Manager at Kaspersky, the programme offers an engaging learning experience through compelling video lectures, practical hands-on labs and interactive exercises, enabling participants to:

• Explore exploitation techniques such as jailbreaks, prompt injections and token smuggling to understand how to defend against them.
• Develop practical defence strategies across various levels—model, prompt, system and service.
• Apply structured frameworks for assessing and enhancing LLM security.

This training is useful for those starting their careers in AI cybersecurity, engineers building or integrating LLMs, and specialists working closely with AI infrastructure.

“The rise of large language models has revolutionised the approach taken by organisations to building and engaging with AI, opening new horizons of possibility. Yet, this technological leap also brings intricate security puzzles that demand immediate attention.

For cybersecurity experts, mastering the art of spotting, exploiting and shielding against these vulnerabilities has become a vital craft. That’s why we developed this specialised course—to arm professionals with the insights and hands-on tools necessary to safeguard LLM-driven applications and stay one step ahead of the evolving threat landscape,” says Vladislav Tushkanov, Research Development Group Manager at Kaspersky.

By Reuben Kalu

The final quarter of the year, especially November and December, is the highest-selling season for many businesses in Nigeria. Consumers are more eager to spend, festive activities drive demand, and competition among brands intensifies. The question is: how do you ensure your business doesn’t just participate, but dominates? The answer lies in strategic positioning. To attract the larger market, businesses must go beyond price slashes and quick promotions. Instead, they need to study their market, understand their target audience, and build a comprehensive marketing campaign that covers every aspect of the sales funnel.

Start with social media advertising—platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn are critical to spark interest and build awareness. Then, ensure your landing pages are optimized for conversion, offering fast-loading, mobile-friendly designs with persuasive copy and clear calls-to-action. Add display marketing and retargeting so your brand stays in front of prospects even after they leave your site.

But here’s the game-changer: e-commerce integration. Nigerian consumers are increasingly shopping online, and mobile-first convenience is driving sales. Businesses that invest in seamless e-commerce platforms, smooth checkout experiences, flexible payment options, and reliable logistics will stand out. Coupling this with targeted email marketing ensures your audience receives personalized offers that feel timely and relevant.Q4 (October to December) is a golden window for Nigerian businesses. Consumer demand peaks, emotions run high, and people are more open to spending for the holidays, weddings, gifting, lifestyle upgrades, and end-of-year celebrations. Businesses that plan well now will not just attract sales, but build long-term brand loyalty.
Here’s my advice and strategy breakdown tailored for Nigerian businesses 👇

1. Study the Market & Audience Deeply
• Consumer behavior: Nigerians spend more in Nov–Dec on fashion, food, drinks, travel, gadgets, and lifestyle.
• Pain points: Price sensitivity, trust issues (original vs fake), delivery timelines, and festive discounts.
• Audience segmentation: Identify core buyers (youth, families, corporate gift buyers, professionals, event planners).

2. Positioning for Growth
💡 Stand out by being trustworthy, emotionally engaging, and present across multiple touchpoints.
Your messaging should tie into aspiration, family, gifting, and success — key emotional drivers in Nigeria’s festive season.

3. Marketing Strategies to Supercharge Growth
🔹 Social Media Adverts
• Run targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn depending on your niche.
• Use festive creatives (end-of-year countdowns, Christmas/New Year imagery, Naija vibes).
• Focus on short videos, reels, and carousels showing real-life product usage.
🔹 Landing Page Optimization
• Create seasonal offers landing pages (e.g., “Naija December Deals” or “End-of-Year Mega Sale”).
• Make checkout easy: fast-loading, mobile-optimized, clear CTAs.
• Add urgency triggers (countdown timers, limited stock notifications).
🔹 Display Marketing
• Partner with popular blogs, lifestyle sites, and news platforms Nigerians consume daily.
• Use Google Display Ads to keep visibility high across the web.
🔹 Re-Targeting
• Many Nigerians browse without buying. Retarget via Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, or email reminders.
• Example: “Still thinking about it? Prices go up in 48 hours!”
🔹 E-Marketing (Email & WhatsApp)
• Send personalized festive newsletters (holiday gift guides, exclusive discounts).
• Use WhatsApp broadcast lists for flash sales and loyalty offers.
• Segment lists into VIP customers, dormant leads, and prospects.
🔹 Brand Messaging
• Keep your narrative emotional and festive: “Celebrate Success. Share Love. Gift Original.”
• Push authenticity, reliability, and urgency.
• Leverage Nigerian pride and relatable language.

4. Pro Tips to Dominate
• Bundle deals & gift packages: Nigerians love value. Bundle products for family & gifting.
• Leverage influencers: Micro-influencers in Nigeria drive trust faster than traditional ads.
• Customer service as a differentiator: Fast delivery, responsive WhatsApp support, no hidden charges.
• SEO + SEM: Optimize your Google presence so when people search “Best Gifts in Lagos” or “Buy Watch in Abuja,” you show up first.

Finally, sharpen your brand messaging—create campaigns that evoke emotions, highlight your unique value, and position your brand as the first choice for holiday spending. When combined, these efforts don’t just drive end-of-year sales; they build loyalty, expand market share, and create momentum for the new year. The brands that win this season are those that take a 360-degree marketing approach—where social media, e-commerce, advertising, funnels, and storytelling work together to supercharge growth.

✅ Bottom Line:
To win in November & December, businesses in Nigeria must build a full-funnel campaign — from awareness (social ads, display) to consideration (landing pages, retargeting) to conversion (email/WhatsApp, strong CTAs) and loyalty (after-sales experience).
This is how you not only sell more but also own your market space going into 2026.

Kaspersky, together with Smart Africa and Africaines in Tech, has launched an innovative, science-backed career orientation test “Future You in Tech” created to promote professional development for young women in the cybersecurity industry and help remove potential entry barriers. The test is designed to help them discover which career paths best align with their interests, skills, and personality.

The IT industry continues to face a significant gender imbalance. While technology is one of the fastest-growing fields shaping the global future, women remain underrepresented due to systemic barriers such as stereotypes and unequal workplace opportunities.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, women make up only 28.2% of the global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) workforce.

With this new initiative, Kaspersky and its partners aim to lower these barriers by sparking interest, building awareness, and offering guidance to the next generation of women in cybersecurity.

The orientation test is designed to help young women discover which cybersecurity career paths best align with their interests, skills, personality, and values. The test guides participants through scenarios that reveal their natural problem-solving styles and strengths.

Once completed, the results highlight each participant’s top two matches out of six possible cybersecurity roles. The six cybersecurity paths covered in the test are:

• Threat Intelligence — analysing cybercriminal groups and predicting their next moves.
• Security Operations (SOC) — monitoring systems, detecting threats, and responding to incidents.
• Malware Analysis — reverse-engineering malicious code and creating detection rules.
• Network Security — protecting IT infrastructure, running penetration tests, and securing networks.
• Information Security Research — uncovering vulnerabilities, exploring new attack techniques, and designing security standards.
• Security Assessment — testing and auditing systems to identify risks before attackers exploit them.

By taking just a few minutes to complete the test, young women can gain a clearer picture of how their abilities and passions align with the cybersecurity profession and take their first step towards a rewarding career protecting people, organisations, and the digital society at large.

Alongside these personalised matches, participants receive explanations of the roles and advice from Kaspersky’s female experts who work in these fields.

They also receive suggested next steps such as recommended readings or practical activities to try, developed together with Smart Africa, Africaines in Tech, and Kaspersky Academy.

“We recommend young women to take this orientation test — even if you never considered a career in cybersecurity. This test would provide you with an unbiased view — while cybersecurity is a field, that requires technical skills development, it also needs curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience — qualities many young women already have.

The test would help one to connect strengths with real career paths, empower to see a future in cybersecurity and to take first steps with confidence,” comments Evgeniya Russkikh, Head of Academic Affairs at Kaspersky.

This launch builds on Kaspersky’s long-term commitment to supporting women in technology. As of early 2023, women represented 25 percent of the company’s global tech workforce — a 6.9 percentage point increase over four years.

To further amplify women’s voices, Kaspersky also runs the Empower Women digital project, which raises awareness of gender-related challenges, shares expert perspectives, and offers practical advice for building fairer and more inclusive environments in tech and beyond.