Telecom
Sophos Adds Endpoint Detection and Response to Intercept X Advanced
Sophos, a global leader in network and endpoint security, on wednesday launched the latest addition to its endpoint solution portfolio, Intercept X with EDR.
Powered by Sophos’ deep learning neural network, which is trained on hundreds of millions of samples to look for suspicious attributes of malicious code to detect never-before-seen threats, Intercept X with EDR provides organizations with broad, expert analysis of potential attacks by comparing the DNA of suspicious files against the malware samples already categorized in SophosLabs to enable them to identify and respond to suspicious threats more quickly.
Until now, effective investigation and incident response has only been achievable in organizations with a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) or specialized IT security team trained to hunt and analyze cyberattacks.
With Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR, businesses of all sizes and those with limited resources can add threat tracking and SOC-like capabilities to their security defenses, reducing the time criminal hackers can hide in their network.
With a single click, IT managers have on-demand access to curated intelligence from SophosLabs, guided investigations into suspicious events, and recommended next steps.
To maintain full visibility into the threat landscape, SophosLabs tracks, deconstructs and analyzes 400,000 unique and previously unseen malware attacks each day in a constant search for attack novelty and cybercriminal innovation.
By providing access to SophosLabs data, IT managers of all skill levels have first-responder forensics at their fingertips to best determine if and what types of attacks are happening.
“’Am I under attack? Where is the attack taking place? How do I react?’ IT managers regularly face these time-sensitive questions, but without a SOC or trained security experts who know how to analyze potential threats, interrupting a cyberattack in real-time is very difficult,” said Dan Schiappa, senior vice president and general manager of products at Sophos.
“The sheer volume of malware, frequency of attacks and wide availability of toolkits on the dark web have made EDR capabilities necessary to every business – especially those with limited IT security resources. Sophos is providing the equivalent of a team of global cybersecurity experts and access to the rich knowledgebase SophosLabs has about the reputation of files and other information collected through terabytes of malware analysis. IT managers can now quickly analyze and trace attack pathways without needing to reverse engineer files.”
Once cybercriminals get a foot hold, they use multiple attack methods to escalate privileges and advance step-by-step. With Intercept X Advanced with EDR, IT managers can see if an attacker is moving laterally, and leverage the anti-ransomware and anti-exploit capabilities in Intercept X, the industry’s most sophisticated endpoint prevention solution. Sophos Intercept X with EDR is integrated with Sophos Central, a cloud-based unified console for managing Sophos’ portfolio of products, allowing end users and Managed Security Partners to make decisions based on EDR intelligence from a single pane of glass.
“EDR initially evolved as an enterprise discipline, typically requiring a team of skilled security analysts to use it to best advantage. Organizations looking to add EDR need to consider how they are going to integrate the technology into their overall security strategy, so triaging and remediating potential incidents is easier and more effective,” said Scott Crawford, information security research director, 451 Research.
“Sophos has focused on creating EDR tooling that is simple to use, affordable and integrated as part of its Intercept X endpoint product. This should give organizations added visibility for threat response. Together, these security components can provide businesses with more control over their own networks and help improve defenses against today’s cyberattacks.”
“In addition to technology, it is equally important for customers to have education as part of their overall security strategy. Our small to medium sized clients need tools that provide information about what threats happened, where and how they got in, and how to fix the problem, so the attacks don’t keep happening over and over again,” said Nick Beardsley, chief solutions architect, TeamLogic IT, a Sophos partner and managed security provider based in Woburn, Mass.
“There’s always a lot of leg work that goes into examining the root cause of an attack – our customers don’t have the time, budget or expertise to threat hunt, and they don’t always understand why they need to do it. Even if they do see the value, their budgets don’t let them come close to having an in-house threat intelligence team like SophosLabs or a dedicated SOC.
“The ability to access SophosLabs research through Intercept X Advanced with EDR, allows us to show our customers why anti-virus or a single security product alone is not enough and to better explain how the attacks are happening, so they don’t make the same mistakes ”.
Federal government has abolished the five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services, a levy that had long sparked public concern over rising costs for subscribers.
Pic credit… Itedgenews
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), announced the development during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
Maida explained that the duty, which was earlier suspended, had now been completely removed by President Bola Tinubu under the new tax legislation.
“The excise duty, it was the 5 per cent or so, that is no longer there. Before it was suspended, but now the president has been magnanimous to remove it entirely. I was in a room when it was raised, and he said, No, no, no, we cannot put this on Nigerians. I was very pleased when the bills came out and we saw his words were followed through,” he disclosed.
Maida stressed that eliminating the charge would ease cost pressures on subscribers and enable wider industry growth.
He added that reforms within the sector were now guided by principles of transparency, accountability, and stronger consumer protection.
The EVC revealed that the regulator was moving beyond traditional rule-based supervision to incorporate behavioural economics, which includes providing more information for consumers and operators to make informed choices.
According to him, one key initiative is a nationwide public map of network performance, expected in September, that will provide independent data on download speeds, latency, and other service indicators.
“There will also be a quarterly network performance report based on user data. It extends accountability beyond mobile operators to also include infrastructure providers who play a critical role in reliability,” he said.
The NCC boss further emphasised the importance of corporate governance as a tool to attract investment and improve industry efficiency. He noted that the ultimate goal is to nurture a telecom company that is wholly Nigerian-owned, well-structured, and globally competitive.
He listed some of the NCC’s recent achievements, including the conclusion of the NIN-SIM audit, settlement of USSD debt disputes, transition to end-user billing, and the launch of a Major Incident Reporting Portal.
On call tariffs, he pointed out that competition had helped keep rates low, with the highest in the market today at about N18 or N19 per minute, compared to N50 per minute two decades ago.
Addressing frequent consumer complaints, he disclosed that the NCC and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had developed a new framework to standardise electronic recharge processes. In addition, Tier-1 audit firms were hired to investigate billing systems after reports of unexplained data depletion.
The results, he said, showed no systemic manipulation. Instead, factors such as background applications, device settings, and complex tariff plans contributed to user dissatisfaction.
“We are not trying to punish anyone. We want the industry to grow, so consumers are happier, operators perform better, and the government benefits from a broader tax base,” Maida added.
In a strategic move to propel the Nigerian blockchain ecosystem, Roqqu, a prominent digital finance and blockchain solutions provider, has officially partnered with the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN).
This new alliance will leverage the combined expertise and resources of both organizations to foster innovation, drive development, and accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology across Nigeria.
The partnership comes shortly after Roqqu was welcomed into the SiBAN network as a corporate member, solidifying a joint commitment to building a more credible, transparent, and sustainable digital asset ecosystem.
The collaboration is designed to bridge the gap between rapid technological innovation and responsible adoption, while prioritizing user protection and ethical standards.
In a statement, the organizations detailed a range of initiatives to be launched as part of this collaboration, all aimed at promoting financial inclusion and responsible innovation.
Key initiatives to be carried out by the two organisations include jointly hosting events to educate both the public and industry professionals on blockchain technology, developing training programs to equip developers and the public with the skills needed to thrive in the blockchain space and actively engaging with regulators and policymakers to help shape a more informed and compliant blockchain community in Nigeria.
“We are delighted to have this collaboration. Our collective strength lies in the diversity and commitment that we both bring to the table and ultimately, contribute to the growth of the blockchain ecosystem,” said Obinna Iwuno, President of SiBAN in the statement.
Roqqu has seen remarkable growth in recent years, establishing itself as a leading force in making cryptocurrency and digital finance accessible. With a focus on providing fast, reliable, and user-friendly services, the company has expanded its footprint beyond Nigeria into other key African markets, including Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. This expansion, along with a virtual currency license to operate in the European Economic Area (EEA), positions Roqqu as a truly international fintech company.
Reacting to the partnership, the Chief Compliance Officer of Roqqu, Roimot Ajiboye-Ibitoye, said partnering with SiBAN is a natural step to make blockchain technology and digital finance accessible, safe, and beneficial for everyone, insisting that together, the two organisations are not just talking about blockchain adoption. Rather, actively building the frameworks, trust, and education needed for it to thrive responsibly in Nigeria.
“This collaboration represents a united front between innovators and industry advocates to create a credible, transparent, and sustainable digital asset ecosystem. By combining our expertise with SiBAN’s strong advocacy and regulatory engagement, we are setting the stage for a future where blockchain becomes a trusted driver of financial inclusion and economic growth across the globe,” he said.
This partnership highlights a shared vision between Roqqu and associations like SiBAN that play a crucial role in bridging the gap between industry innovation and responsible adoption to ensure the benefits of blockchain are accessible to a wider audience, creating a safer and more robust future for digital finance in Nigeria.
SiBAN as a body provides a platform where stakeholders can share knowledge and experiences, where companies can engage in constructive policy discussions with regulators, where communities can learn about safe, responsible participation in the blockchain space and where businesses can collaborate on solutions that serve both economic and social development goals.
Industry watchers believe that this partnership highlights a shared vision of creating a credible, transparent, and sustainable digital asset ecosystem. By working together, Roqqu and SiBAN aim to bridge the gap between rapid technological innovation and responsible adoption, ensuring that the benefits of blockchain are accessible to a wider audience while prioritizing user protection and ethical standards.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it has successfully eliminated users of unregistered subscriber identity modules (SIM), from the Nigerian telecommunication network, a development that can boost national and cyber security.
Eng. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of NCC,
Eng. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of NCC, who disclosed the information at a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, said, however, that it was beyond the scope of the agency to control the names with which some customers used in registered their SIMs.
The NCC CEO pointed out that while the commission had successfully removed unregistered SIMs from its network, some strange names being attached to some of the subscribers reflect what the owners used while registering with their operators.
“No unregistered SIM is operating on the network as of today, but there may be people using names they did not register with, apparently to mask their identities. We cannot control the names attached to each SIM, as they reflect what the owners used at the time of registration with their respective operators,” the EVC said.
“While NCC cannot control that behaviour, it is to be noted that it is an offence to use fake names to make or receive calls in Nigeria,” Maida warned.
The EVC, however, said that the commission has put necessary measures in place to ensure sanity and stability in the industry so that every user can determine the best network operator to patronise based on performance, service delivery and charges.
He said the commission would, in September this year, launch a public map to show subscribers which of the telecoms networks provides the best service and tariff plan to determine which to patronise based on their locations.
Mr. Maida said for the industry to make the required progress and serve the interests of the people, there is a need for a fresh injection of capital from outside the industry, adding that the commission had already revised a series of good governance guidelines to guide operators in the industry.
According to him, the guidelines are aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and boosting investors’ confidence and customers’ trust in the industry.
He said, “The need for good corporate governance guidelines requires that operators in the industry must provide audited reports to boost investors’ confidence and earn the trust and confidence of their customers”.
The ECV explained that the commission approved the recent tariff hike for the industry due to the fact that there had not been any cost-reflective tariff adjustment for a decade, adding that the commission was mindful of the need to protect the interests of both the operators and Nigerian subscribers.
On the issue of threats to telecoms infrastructure nationwide, the EVC announced that he would soon meet with governors to discuss the need for them to team up with NCC to protect telecoms infrastructure in their domains and to also eliminate multiple taxes on the operators so as to improve service delivery and ensure national security.
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