HACKER HACKS INTO LINKEDIN AND SELLS PEOPLES INFORMATION

According to a report on Motherboard, a hacker known as “Peace” is selling account information of about 117 million LinkedIn users. This information includes login data like emails and passwords. According to Motherboard, Peace confirmed this information was stolen during the 2012 LinkedIn security breach where Russian hackers leaked 6.5 million passwords online. At the time, LinkedIn tried to downplay the gravity of the situation but this shows it was a big, serious issue. Right now, the stolen details are on sale on illegal dark web marketplace, The Real Deal for 5 bitcoin (about $2,200). So far, 90% of the encrypted passwords have been cracked and this took 72 hours. Cybersecurity is a big issue with social media and email accounts being under threat on a regular basis, and it doesn’t just happen on a personal level. Businesses also get hacked resulting in confidential information being leaked and customers losing a ton of money. Must be why most sites have outrageous standards for passwords to be approved. LinkedIn has 433 million registered users meaning this breach affects approximately 27% of its users. You may be thinking you don’t have anything to lose, but it’d be wise to change your password now to prevent identity theft.

Nigeria’s AppZone, U.S. tech firm in smart card alliance

Nigerian software company, AppZone says it is combining strength with Prime Factors, a U.S. developer to provide smart card solutions for the Nigerian market. AppZone says the partnership will enhance its card issuance platform to ensure that potentially functional cards that are not yet linked to customer accounts are transported between personalisation companies and banks According to Nigeria’s AppZone, the card issuance module will take card issuance to “a whole new level” by enabling the entire spectrum of card production and personalisation activities to be automated and occur instantly upon customer requests in bank branches. Under the plan, Prime Factors will provide AppZone with a core component used for the creation and management of cryptographic elements required during the secure personalisation of integrated chips found on modern payment cards. Appzone further says that with this development, banks on the platform can instantly issue fully functional cards to requesting customers in branches instead of having same customers wait for days or weeks to collect their requested cards. The introduction of its instant personalisation solution eliminates all the manual processes involved during card issuance and replaces them with complete automation, according to AppZone. Traditional card issuance requires customers to visit branches twice to get a card i.e. to make card request and to collect the card a few days or weeks sit uncollected at bank branches”, the Nigerian technology company says. “AppZone’s card issuance platform automates relevant card operations thereby reducing the need for banks to develop or outsource expertise required to manage EMV data preparation and card personalisation.” According to AppZone, “key features of our instant in-branch card personalisation solution include generation of Magnetic stripe and EMV chip data, instant personalisation of physical cards, instant PIN selection and instant linking of cards to customer accounts. There is also support for card blocking requests initiated at branches.”

Tech+ 2016, Nigeria’s top tech showcase event registration now open

Organisers of Tech+, Nigeria’s top technology showcase say registration is now open for interested exhibitors for this year’s editionscheduled to hold July 22-23, this year in Lagos. According to Connect Marketing Limited, organisers of Tech+, over 10,000 participants are expected at the conference ranging from top level government officials, policymakers, innovators, developers, young and adult consumers, among others. “Expectedly, the outlook, attendance and engagement for TechPlus2016 are sure to be advanced and topnotch, providing extensive value for exhibitors including access to over 10,000 event participants, top level government officials and policymakers, customers and consumers alike”, the event organisers announced. Exhibition booths are available for small, medium and large scale organizations and multinationals interested in leveraging the power of technology to project their brand value as well as connect with a vast array of tech and non-tech audience, with potential clients drawn from governments, policymakers, innovators, developers, global and local brands, young and adult consumers amongst others,” the statement adds. TechPlus2016 exhibition booths are categorized into Small (3m x 3m) and Medium (3m x 6m), and exhibitors can have their booths customised based on request and conditions. TechPlus, in its second year, has evolved to become one of the most authoritative gathering of everything tech in Nigeria and Africa at large, convening over 6,000 participants, 300 exhibitors and 1,000 gamers at its maiden edition last year. MTN, Samsung, Beat FM, Huawei, Ferarri, FCMB “and a host of other multi-sectorial brands” are already listed as parts of the exhibitors from TechPlus last year. To book your exhibition stand at the tech event, you can contact Michael on +234 703 359 4090 or michael@techplus.com.ng. You can also visit the website www.techplus.ng for more details or download the 2016 Brochure

NCS wants Nigeria’s young IT professionals ‘recognised’

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has called for the recognition of young Information Technology (IT) professionals to enable them to attain higher heights in their career. Mr Mike Olajide, the Publicity Chairman of the NCS recently made the call in a statement made available in Lagos where he urged young IT professionals to key into the programme of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) to enhance their potential. Olajide noted that IFIP had instituted an award for 2016 to adequately encourage the young professionals at global level in recognition for their achievements. He however explained that the award which was being organized by InterYIT, the International Young IT Group of IFIP, would be a recognition scheme for IT industry. He listed the categories of the award to include; IFIP International Young IT Professional of the Year, IFIP International Young IT Entrepreneur of the Year and IFIP International Best Student IT Project of the Year and he urged interested applicants to send in their forms before June 30 to info@ifipinteryit.org