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Sophos Unveils 4 New Open Artificial Intelligence Developments

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Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has announced four new open Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments to help broaden and sharpen the industry’s defenses against cyberattacks, including datasets, tools and methodologies designed to advance industry collaboration and cumulative innovation.

This move accelerates a key Sophos objective to open its data science breakthroughs and make the use of AI in cybersecurity more transparent, all with the aim of better protecting organizations against all forms of cybercrime.

While it is common practice to share AI methodologies and findings in other industries, cybersecurity has lagged in this effort, creating a noisy understanding of how AI truly provides protection against cyberthreats.

Sophos and its team of SophosAI data scientists are catalyzing this change toward openness, so that IT managers, security analysts, CFOs, CEOs, and others making security buying or management decisions, can discuss and assess AI benefits from a level and well-informed playing field.

Joe Levy, chief technology officer, Sophos, said “With SophosAI’s new initiative to open its research, we can help influence how AI is positioned and discussed in cybersecurity moving forward.

“Today’s cacophony of opaque or guarded claims about the capabilities or efficacy of AI in solutions makes it difficult to impossible for buyers to understand or validate these claims.

“This leads to buyer skepticism, creating headwinds to future progress at the very moment we’re starting to see great breakthroughs.

“Correcting this through external mechanisms like standards or regulation won’t happen quickly enough. Instead, it requires a grassroots effort and self-policing within our community to produce a set of practices and language that will advance the industry in a disruptive, open and transparent manner.”

It is difficult to overstate the criticality of this shift given the immense potential of how AI can benefit cybersecurity. Sophos evidence shows that defenders are increasingly facing human adversaries who are constantly upping their game, launching highly contextualized Business Email Compromise (BEC) forgery campaigns or relentlessly developing new ransomware attacks.

Scalable and effective defenses against these and most other types of cyberattacks require assistance from AI. Openness and peer review among those applying AI to address these security threats stimulate innovation and discoveries, driving the entire industry forward.

Sophos is providing datasets, tools and methodologies in four important areas:

SOREL-20M Dataset for Accelerating Malware Detection Research
SOREL-20M, a joint project between SophosAI and ReversingLabs, is a production-scale dataset containing metadata, labels and features for 20 million Windows Portable Executable files (PE).

It includes 10 million disarmed malware samples available for download for the purpose of research on feature extraction to accelerate industry-wide improvements in security.

This dataset is the first production scale malware research dataset available to the general public, with a curated and labelled set of samples and security-relevant metadata.

AI-powered Impersonation Protection Method
SophosAI’s Impersonation Protection is designed to protect against email spearphishing attacks, where influential people are impersonated to trick recipients into taking some harmful action for the benefit of the attacker.

This new protection compares the display name of inbound emails against high level executive titles – those most likely to be spoofed in a spearphishing attack, such as a CEO, CFO or president – that are unique to specific organizations and flags these messages when they appear suspicious.

Sophos has trained the AI working behind the scenes on a large sample set of millions of known attack emails. SophosAI has opened up this innovative new protection method, which it has also discussed publicly at Defcon 28 and in an Arxiv paper.

Digital Epidemiology to Determine Undetected Malware
SophosAI has also built a set of epidemiology-inspired statistical models for estimating the prevalence of malware infections in total, which enables Sophos to estimate – and in turn enabling a better chance to find – the needles in a PE file haystack.

SophosAI has pioneered and made publicly available this method that helps to determine malicious “dark matter,” malware that might be missed or wrongly classified, and “future malware” that is in development by attackers.

The model is designed to be extensible to other classes of files and information system artifacts and is also discussed in the Sophos 2021 Threat Report.

YaraML Automatic Signature Generation Tools
Signature generation for the detection of malware families is a laborious, manual process. Over the years, researchers have proposed a variety of automatic signature generation methods, most of which have not found adoption because they underperform manual methods.

SophosAI has developed a new method for automatic signature generation, called YaraML, that’s significantly different from previous options by taking an AI based approach to the problem. SophosAI directly “compiles” full-fledged, industrial strength machine learning models, the kinds used in commercial security products, into signature languages, essentially allowing AI to “write” the signatures.

This proves to be far more effective than previous approaches and represents a breakthrough for the security community. SophosAI has open-sourced YaraML.

These four advancements are the latest from SophosAI, which works creatively like a start-up incubator, but with the intellectual resources of a near billion-dollar global company, including SophosLabs, Sophos Managed Threat Response and hundreds of thousands of customers.

Another advantage is that SophosAI can add new technology directly into shipping products. This model allows Sophos to react quickly to market needs, predict where the industry must head and advance openness for greater cybersecurity industry collaboration and innovation, all of which is essential when developing defenses against fast-moving adversaries.

 


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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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NCC Orders Telcos Inform Subscribers of Data Breach within 48 Hours

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom operators in the country to notify affected customers of any data breach within 48 hours ( that is two day) of detecting such unauthorised infringement.

NCC Orders Telcos Inform Subscribers of Data Breach within 48 Hours

This directive was  contained in the revised Internet Code of Practice 2026 by the NCC, on Friday.

The document seeks to define the rights and obligations of telecom operators in handing the rights of internet users to an open internet.

In the move to protect customer information, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are to take necessary measures to protect customers’ data from unauthorised use, disclosure, access or breach.

Telecom operators must now notify affected customers within 48 hours of detecting a compromise through text message, email or any other effective means. As contained in Chapter 3.4 of the regulation titled “Data Breach Notifications,”

The telecoms companies are also directed to notify the NCC of such a breach not later than 48 hours after determining such a breach.

Where full details of the breach are not immediately available, the provider shall issue a preliminary notification within the same period and furnish a comprehensive update within Fourteen (14) days thereafter, or within such extended period as the Commission may approve,” part of the section reads.

The guidelines, according to NCC, are in tandem with the provisions contained in the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and Part VI of Schedule 1 of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024.

The regulation also joins other agencies’ policies, ensuring protection. Agencies such as the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) protect consumers against misuse of personal data, identity theft, financial loss, and reputation damage.

The review comes at a time when privacy becomes core amid frequent breaches and illegal harvest of data such as biometric, national IDs, financial information, traffic and usage, and others.

Regulations are necessary for the proper handling, consent, and regulatory compliance regarding sensitive data, ensuring it is only processed for legitimate purposes.

Under Chapter 3.5, the Internet Code of Practice 2026 addressed the handling of harvesting of transactional data by notifying and getting approval from the NCC of any usage by a third party. It noted that the NCC approval will be defined by a review and assessment of such access and “its potential effects on national considerations, consumer information and personal data.”


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Globacom Promotes Valentine Gifting with Huge Discounts on Smartphones

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Globacom has announced a Valentine Smartphone promotion, which provides incredible savings on a variety of high-end smartphones from top manufacturers including Tecno, Samsung, and Infinix.

Starting on February 9, the promotion provides substantial price reductions on a number of Samsung models, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy A07, Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A26 5G. Customers who buy any of the phones will also receive a complimentary travel pouch and charger, as well as up to 18GB of extra data for six months, only available on the Glo network.

Along with other Infinix models, Tecno devices are also offered at attractive discounts, giving customers a large range of smartphones to fit a variety of tastes and price ranges.

The goal of the Glo Valentine promotion is to provide customers with the best possible deals on carefully chosen smartphones that are renowned for their cutting-edge technology, stylish designs, and dependable performance. The offer, which includes alternatives to suit a range of budgets and lifestyles, reaffirms Globacom’s dedication to customer happiness, digital adoption, greater data usage, and client centricity.

The company revealed that the promotion aligned with customers’ expectations during celebratory seasons, when demand is highest for quality smartphones at affordable prices. The company added that its partnership with trusted global and regional brands such as Samsung, Infinix, and Tecno ensures that customers enjoy premium features without compromising on value.

“The Valentine season is about connection, and what better way to stay connected than with a smartphone that fits your needs and aspirations,” the company stated. “This promo gives our customers the chance to get their dream smartphones at some of the best prices of the year, along with generous data bonuses to keep them connected,” the company disclosed.

Customers are encouraged to visit Gloworld outlets nationwide to take advantage of the Valentine Smartphone Promo while stocks last.

 


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GBB Expands Broadband to 13 Underserved Communities In 2025

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has recorded a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey by advancing broadband connectivity to 13 underserved institutions and communities nationwide in 2025, reinforcing its position as the nation’s digital backbone and a trusted partner in national development.

Guided by its mandate to enable a digitally inclusive Nigeria, GBB deliberately extended connectivity to locations within reach of its infrastructure footprint, particularly institutions with strong potential for productive use but limited readiness for immediate commercial engagement. Through this effort, the organisation continues to unlock opportunity, stimulate innovation, and support sustainable growth across critical sectors of the economy.

The expansion reached three Federal Universities, two Local Government Areas, and eight Federal Secretariats, strengthening digital capabilities in education and public administration while enhancing service delivery across the country.

GBB also extended reliable broadband connectivity to strategic and cultural landmarks such as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, underscoring its commitment to supporting national infrastructure that drives economic activity, mobility, and global connectivity.

These deployments highlight Galaxy Backbone’s resolve to bridge the digital divide and empower institutions that shape Nigeria’s future. They demonstrate the measurable national impact of GBB’s infrastructure investments and reflect the tangible progress of the Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS), further solidifying the organisation’s role as the platform upon which government institutions and communities can confidently build their digital future.

More importantly, the milestone illustrates that GBB’s work extends beyond technology by enabling education, improving governance, supporting economic participation, and connecting citizens to opportunity.

The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broadband penetration objectives and complements national programmes such as Project 774 – Universities’ Hostel Connectivity, ensuring coordinated, scalable, and sustainable impact across the country. Commenting on the achievement, Galaxy Backbone noted that every new connection brings Nigeria closer to a more inclusive digital economy while reinforcing the infrastructure required for innovation and national competitiveness.

As implementation continues, GBB remains committed to expanding access, pushing boundaries, and delivering on the promise of a fully digital nation, with further updates expected as additional phases of the deployment progress.

Galaxy Backbone Limited is the Federal Government’s digital infrastructure and shared services provider, dedicated to delivering secure, reliable, and scalable ICT solutions that support efficient governance, innovation, and sustainable national development.

 


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