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Study Finds More than Half of Companies Use AI, IoT in their Business Processes in META
A recent Kaspersky study has revealed that more than 50% of companies surveyed have implemented Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in their businesses’ infrastructures. Additionally, 33% are planning to adopt these interconnected technologies within two years.
In the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, 55% of respondents have implemented AI and 34% are planning to do so, while IoT are used in 44% of organisations with 45% planning to use them. Business owners must ensure they have the right caliber of cybersecurity solutions to secure them, experts recommend.
Interconnected technologies are the growing network of devices, systems and applications connected to the Internet and each other.
They transform enterprises, enabling them to gather more data and automate processes. But they also bring new risks and challenges when securing business assets and safeguarding customers.
Kaspersky conducted a study ‘Connecting the future of business’, which aims to help companies stay ahead of the changes interconnected technologies bring, posing critical questions regarding the way cybersecurity must adapt to them.
For this purpose, the company surveyed 560 senior IT security leaders from North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Turkiye and Africa, Russia and Asia-Pacific.
In this survey, Kaspersky sought to examine what respondents think of the following interconnected technologies:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI),
- Internet of Things (IoT),
- Augmented reality (AR), Virtual reality (VR) and digital twins,
- 6G and converged cloud networks,
- Web 3.0 which enables decentralised applications, blockchain smart contracts and user-managed data,
- Data spaces that enable seamless data sharing in collaborative settings.
The research found that AI and IoT are already used by 54% and 51% of companies respectively (55% and 44% in the META region). One in three plans to adopt them within two years (in META 34% plan to use AI and 45% IoT). Data spaces are used by 32% of businesses, with nearly half (49%) intending to adopt them in the near future (the figures are 34% and 45% in META).
Other interconnected technologies (digital twins, AR, VR, web 3.0, 6G and converged cloud networks), are used by only one in five (20-21%) companies participating in the survey, but more than 70% are considering integrating them into their business processes soon. The figures are similar in the META region, with just 6G and converged cloud networks being a bit different – 18% of respondents already use them, 80% have them in plan.
Because AI and IoT have become so widespread, they are vulnerable to new vectors of cyberattacks. According to the research, 16-17% of organisations think AI and IoT are ‘very difficult’ or ‘extremely difficult’ to protect (18% and 16% in META), while only 8% of the AI users and 12% of the IoT owners believe their companies are fully protected (9% and 14% in META).
However, as we can see, the less widespread the implementation of technologies, the more difficult it is for companies to protect them and vice versa.
For instance, the least adopted AR/VR and converged cloud networks, are the most challenging technologies to protect in terms of cyber defense, with 39-40% of companies saying they are difficult to secure (37-38% in META).
“Interconnected technologies bring immense business opportunities but they also usher in a new era of vulnerability to serious cyberthreats. With an increasing amount of data being collected and transmitted, cybersecurity measures must be strengthened.
“Enterprises must protect critical assets, build customer confidence amid the expanding interconnected landscape, and ensure there are adequate resources allocated to cybersecurity so they can use the new solutions to combat the incoming challenges of interconnected tech.
“Businesses integrating AI and IoT into their infrastructure need to protect it with Container Security and Extended Detection and Response solutions, to detect cyberthreats at early stages and provide effective defense,” comments Ivan Vassunov, VP, Corporate products, Kaspersky.
Given the scale of change that interconnected technologies is likely to bring, organisations must develop a strategy to implement and protect them. Based on the research findings, Kaspersky recommends four effective ways to ensure organisations are prepared to protect interconnected technologies:
- Adopt secure-by-design principles. By integrating cybersecurity into each stage of the software development lifecycle, secure-by-design software and hardware become resilient against cyberattacks, contributing to the overall security of digital systems.
Cyber Immune solutions based on KasperskyOS, for instance, allow companies to minimise the threat surface and significantly decrease the ability of cybercriminals to perform a successful attack.
- Train and upskill your workforce. Building a cyber-aware culture requires a comprehensive strategy that empowers employees to gain knowledge and put it into practice. With Kaspersky Expert training, InfoSec professionals can advance their skills and defend their companies against attacks.
- Upgrade your cybersecurity solutions and use centralised and automated platforms such as Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR). As companies adopt interconnected technologies, they need cybersecurity solutions with more advanced features, enabling them to collect and correlate telemetry from multiple sources and provide effective threat detection and rapid automated response.
As many AI solutions are built on containers, it’s important to secure the infrastructure they are integrated in with cybersecurity products – such as Kaspersky Container Security – that allows companies to detect security issues at every stage of the app lifecycle, from development to operation.
- Meet regulations to avoid legal problems or reputational damage, by ensuring your cybersecurity practice meets changing standards and legal requirements.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading fintech company, has partnered with Globacom to launch the second edition of the “Recharge and Win Bonanza” campaign. The promotion, which runs from June 19th to August 8th, 2025, offers Nigerians the chance to win amazing prizes when they purchase Glo airtime and data via the PalmPay app.
According to a joint statement by PalmPay and Globacom, “A weekly live raffle draw will be held and streamed on PalmPay’s official social media channels throughout the campaign. Customers who make Glo transactions through the PalmPay app will be eligible to win prizes, including the iPhone 15 Pro, Infinix Hot 40, and other exciting items”.
To participate, interested customers can log onto http://bit.ly/PalmPaySms .
The statement added that all transaction above N500 gives participants an extra shot at winning, adding that daily social media challenges will also offer participants a chance to win cash prizes.
Additionally, PalmPay users can enjoy up to 6% cashback when they buy Glo airtime and data through the PalmPay app. As an added bonus, customers who have not subscribed to a Glo data plan in the last 90 days will receive a 100% bonus on their recharge during the campaign period.
Wayne Ruppel, Head of Billers at PalmPay Limited expressed excitement about the partnership, stating that, “This collaboration is a major step in our mission to deliver MORE – more support, more rewards, and more innovation to our customers.
Partnering with Glo, a leader in the telecommunications sector, is a testament to our shared commitment to improving everyday experiences for all Nigerians. We are excited to reward our users and encourage everyone to take full advantage of this exciting opportunity.
Globacom also expressed delight at creating additional value for its subscribers through unique customer-appreciation schemes.
“Our partnership with PalmPay on the “Recharge and Win Bonanza perfectly underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional value and experiences. Over the years, we have always sought innovative ways to enrich the lives of our customers. We, therefore, enjoin our subscribers to utilize the opportunity provided by the bonanza and enjoy the many benefits it offers”, the company stated.
PalmPay and Glo will collaborate throughout the campaign period to deliver exceptional customer experience, reward loyalty, and reinforce their shared mission to make digital transactions more accessible, rewarding, and secure for millions of Nigerians.
Lasaco Assurance Plc, has said it would continue to invest in technologies and systems that delivers tangible value to clients and drive industry innovation.
Mr Abiodun Razzaq, Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance, who stated this at the 2025 customer forum organised by the company for its northern region customers in Abuja, said the forum’s interactive session offered an invaluable platform for open and constructive dialogue.
He said the forum brought together a distinguished assembly of customers, including policyholders, brokers, corporate clients, and industry partners, to engage in a robust dialogue aimed at enhancing service delivery and aligning offerings with the evolving expectations of the Northern market.
In his opening remarks, Regional Manager (Northern Region), Lasaco Assurance, Mr. Kunle Hamza underscored the company’s unwavering dedication to stakeholder engagement as a foundational pillar of its growth strategy. He emphazised that customer insights remain integral to shaping policies, refining service processes, and reinforcing the company’s brand promise.
He provided a compelling overview of Lasaco assurance’s recent performance and strategic priorities. He highlighted the company’s consistent premium income growth, bold digital transformation agenda, and ongoing operational restructuring designed to ensure responsiveness and resilience in a dynamic insurance landscape.
Addressing the customers, Mr. Adedayo Adetokun, Head of Strategy, affirmed that Lasaco assurance was actively developing multiple digital platforms to cater forvarious customer segments—part of a broader digital innovation roadmap that positions the company for future growth. He noted that human capital development was also being prioritised with targeted investments in talent acquisition and training to enhance operational capacity.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Muyiwa Anwoju, General Manager, Sales, expressed the management’s deep appreciation for the feedback received.
He assured participants that all contributions would be meticulously reviewed, categorised, and integrated into the company’s improvement plans. According to Anwoju, this forum marks the beginning of a renewed customer engagement framework, one that would be expanded across other regions in due course.
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