TechNews
Ugwuanyi appoints Elvis Obi-Nwankwo as SA Science, Tech & Innovation
Enugu state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has appointed a new Special Assistant on Innovation, Science and Technology, in the person of Engineer Elvis Obi-Nwankwo, according to a report by TechEconomy.ng.
Elvis Obi-Nwankwo who made this know through his social media platforms declared to accomplish groundbreaking science, that can enhance the well-being of all Enugu indigene through their programmes (administration, technology innovation, international cooperation and resources, research development and support, and socio-economic innovation partnerships) and several entities that work alongside it.
Prior to his appointment, Engr. Elvis Obi-Nwankwo worked as the Head of Business Development at Maincorp Inc. He was in-charge of the Company’s corporate business development and also overseeing synergies in building new market for the foreign and local brand partners.
He is the Founder/CEO, Global Prime Edge Solutions Limited and later co-founded OgeneFest2020; the biggest gathering of Igbo art and cultural musicians across the African continent and positioned to become an all year round cultural ritual that would help unite and reposition the Igbo cultural rhythm for possible export.
Confirming his appointment during a chat with our Correspondent, Obi-Nwankwo said: “It has been said before, and will be repeated again and again that the list of good leaders Enugu State has ever had would not be complete if Governor Ugwuanyi is not mentioned twice.
“Apart from being an outstanding father of the State, a multi-dexterous, peaceful and loving leader, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has always lived for others to truly live too. A man who believes in the potentials of the youth, His Excellency has never failed to give young people opportunity to prove themselves in leadership and other wise.
“On the 8th day of April, 2021, the People’s Governor found me worthy to serve under him as his Special Assistant on Innovation, Science and Technology, feat only him can give to a young leader like myself.
“It is with heart filled with unmitigated gratitude that I write to appreciate His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State for finding me worthy of this sensitive position. I am most grateful to all the leaders through whose opportunities in leadership I am able to reach this feat. I am of course very aware that it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.
The SA to the Governor on STI said that the office seeks to boost socio-economic development in the State, through research and innovation.
“To achieve its goals, the office will provide leadership, an enabling environment and resources for science, technology and innovation”: he added.
Meanwhile, it is worthy of mention that Ambassador Elvis Obi-Nwankwo initiated the Enugu West upskilled training that provided free platforms for hundreds of youths in Enugu west Senatorial zone to be trained in many skills including animation, web designing, graphics design and many more in the year 2020.
“I look up to God for strength to utilize this opportunity for the good of Enugu State and even beyond”, he said.
Engr. Obi-Nwankwo holds Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance from, Middlesex University, Mauritius Campus.
He is also a graduate of International Economics from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and an Associate Member, Nigeria Institute of Strategic Management.
TechNews
inq.Digital Supports Payments Forum Nigeria [PAFON 1.0]
Inq. Digital Nigeria Limited has been announced as a sponsor of Payments Forum Nigeria [PAFON 1.0] maiden edition holding this Thursday in Lagos.
inq. Digital Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of inq. Group is an emerging leading digital and cloud solutions provider that delivers simpler seamless solutions to complex business challenges.
With offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, inq. provides reliable and affordable Intelligent Connectivity, SDN/NFV, Cloud and Digital services (including Edge –AI) for Nigerian businesses including those in the payment space.
Participation is FREE, however, pre-registration is required: https://bit.ly/4c4N19H.
Speaking ahead of Payments Forum Nigeria [PAFON 1,0] scheduled to take place at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, Lagos on Thursday, March 21, 2024 by 9am under the theme: “Payments: Trust, Security and Privacy in AI Era”, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, the co-founder of TechCastle Foundation, the organisers, said the goal is to enable information exchange and knowledge sharing on key industry insights issues amongst key stakeholders, with the objective of ensuring a collaborative and proactive approach to push for policies that enable growth, tackling/mitigating fraud and limiting occurrences and losses.
Speakers
The following speakers are lined up for the Forum: Chibuzo Efobi, Director, Payments System Management, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Festus Amede, Chairman, Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial institutions (CCISONFI; Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare, Chief Visionary Officer (CVO), Digital Encode Limited; Adetokunbo Omotosho, Chief Executive Officer, Cybervergent; Roosevelt Elias, Founder, Payble; Ikenna Ndugbu, chief compliance officer, Moniepoint MFB, and Peter Evbota, Sales Director at inq. Digital Nigeria Limited.
Payments Forum Nigeria is organised by TechCastle Foundation and sponsored by: inq. Digital Nigeria Limited, Cybervergent, Moniepoint, Digital Encode Limited, Payble with support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Business
Meet Kingsley Adonu
In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, there are visionaries who not only navigate the business landscape but redefine it. Meet Kingsley Adonu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the SMobile Group, a conglomerate that stands as a beacon of excellence and diversity in the global business arena.
Kingsley Adonu is a visionary entrepreneur and the Founder of the SMobile Group, a conglomerate synonymous with excellence and diversity. As the Chief Executive Officer, he has steered the group to remarkable heights, overseeing a spectrum of businesses that span across Telecommunications, Oil and Gas, Real Estate, Hospitality, Water Production, Agriculture, Technology, E-commerce, Energy, Sports, Entertainment, Education, Health, Logistics and Financial Services, with branches extending globally to UK, USA, China, South Africa, and Canada.
Under Kingsley’s astute leadership, SMobile Group has emerged as a major partner for MTN, evident in the impactful presence of the SMobile brand in the telecommunications landscape. His strategic insights and forward-thinking approach have positioned the group as a dynamic player in multiple industries.
Beyond the boardroom, Kingsley Adonu is a dedicated philanthropist, committed to making a positive impact in communities. His philanthropic efforts extend beyond business, reflecting a deep-seated belief in the responsibility of successful individuals to contribute meaningfully to society.
Kingsley’s influence is not confined to national borders; he has actively participated in numerous international telecom conferences, further enriching his understanding of global industry trends and fostering valuable connections with industry leaders worldwide.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Kingsley Adonu continues to inspire and lead the SMobile Group towards new horizons, blending business acumen with a passion for positive societal change.
TechNews
Only 26% of Surveyed Organizations Stopped Data Encryption by Cybercriminals – Sophos
Retail organizations attacked by ransomware increasingly unable to halt an attack in progress, Sophos Survey Finds, writes SANDRA ANI
- This Is the Lowest Rate of Disruption in 3 Years
Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today shared findings from its sector survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Retail 2023,” which found that only 26% of retail organizations this past year were able to disrupt a ransomware attack before their data was encrypted.
Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today shared findings from its sector survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Retail 2023,” which found that only 26% of retail organizations this past year were able to disrupt a ransomware attack before their data was encrypted.
This is a three-year low for the sector—a decline from 34% in 2021 and 28% in 2022—suggesting the sector is increasingly unable to halt ransomware attacks already in progress.
“Retailers are losing ground in the battle against ransomware. Ransomware criminals have been encrypting increasingly greater percentages of their retail victims in the last three years, as evidenced by the steadily declining rate of retailers stopping cybercriminal attacks in progress. Retailers must up their defensive game by setting up security that detects and responds to intrusions earlier in the attack chain,” said Chester Wisniewski, director, global field CTO, Sophos.
In addition, the report found that, for those retail organizations that paid the ransom, their median recovery costs (not including the ransom payment) were four times the recovery costs of those that used backups to recover their data ($3,000,000 versus $750,000).
“Forty-three percent of retail victims paid the ransom according to our survey respondents, yet the median recovery cost to victims who paid the ransom was four times the cost to those who used backups and other recovery methods. There are no shortcuts in these situations and rebuilding systems is almost always required. It’s better to deprive the criminals of their spoils and build back better,” said Wisniewski.
Additional key findings from the report include:
- In line with a broader, cross-sector trend, the retail sector experienced its highest rate of encryption over the past three years, with 71% of those organizations targeted by ransomware stating that attackers successfully encrypted their data
- The percentage of retail organizations attacked by ransomware declined from 77% last year to 69% this year
- The percentage of retail organizations that recovered in less than a day decreased from 15% to 9% this year, while the percentage of retail organizations that took more than a month to recover increased from 17% to 21%
Sophos recommends the following best practices to help defend against ransomware and other cyberattacks:
- Strengthen defensive shields with:
- Security tools that defend against the most common attack vectors, including endpoint protection with strong anti-ransomware and anti-exploit capabilities
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to thwart the abuse of compromised credentials
- Adaptive technologies that respond automatically to attacks, disrupting adversaries and buying defenders time to respond
- 24/7 threat detection, investigation and response, whether delivered in-house or by a specialized Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider
- Optimize attack preparation, including regularly backing up, practicing recovering data from backups and maintaining an up-to-date incident response plan
- Maintain security hygiene, including timely patching and regularly reviewing security tool configurations
To learn more about the State of Ransomware in Retail 2023, download the full report from Sophos.com.
The State of Ransomware 2023 survey polled 3,000 IT/cybersecurity leaders in organizations with between 100 and 5,000 employees, including 355 from the retail sector, across 14 countries in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific.
-
Politics3 days ago
“Fuel Subsidy Removal Was A Necessary Action To Prevent Nigeria From Going Bankrupt” – President Tinubu
-
News3 days ago
Fuel Price Skyrockets To ₦1000 Per Litre In Some States As Scarcity Sets In
-
News2 days ago
“There Would Be total Blackout For Three Months If Electricity Tariff Hike Is Not Implemented ” – Minister Of Power Warns
-
News2 days ago
FG Declares May 1st Public Holiday To Mark Workers’ Day
-
News1 day ago
Nigerians Seek Woman Who Spoke Out Eloquently Against Fuel Scarcity In Viral 1994 TV Clip
-
News14 hours ago
Anambra State Government Arrests Man For Marrying Off His Underage Daughter
-
News3 hours ago
IPOB Declares May 30th As Sit-at-home Day Across The Southern East States To Honour Biafran Fallen Heroes