Author: Akin Naphtal

Spanish airline, Air Europa, has revealed that its online payment system has suffered a cyberattack that left some of its customers’ credit card details exposed. The affected customers have been alerted, and the relevant financial institutions have been notified. Air Europa did not specify the number of customers affected, nor has the airline estimated the financial impact of the cyberattack. According to Reuters, the Madrid-based company has announced that no other information was exposed. Possible motives for the breach are still being investigated, with the airline saying that there was “no evidence that the breach was ultimately used to commit…

India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has launched the second Edition of the National Cyber Security Exercise ‘Bharat NCX 2023’, in a bid to strengthen India’s cybersecurity infrastructure and readiness. The inauguration took place on Tuesday, 10th October, and saw dignitaries, including, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood, Deputy National Security Advisor, Rajinder Khanna, and National Cyber Security Coordinator, Lt Gen MU Nair, attending. A press release by the NSCS said the primary aim of the exercise is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to address contemporary cyber threats, effectively manage cyber…

Microsoft is aiming to finalize its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher of popular first-person shooter game, Call of Duty, on 13th October, pending approval from the UK’s antitrust regulator. According to a report from The Verge, Microsoft received preliminary approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority last month after Activision agreed to sell its streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment. The deadline for the deal was previously extended to October 18th to allow for more time to secure approval from the UK. Both companies have not yet responded to requests for comment. What the Microsoft-Activision Deal Could…

Family Bank and DigiFarm have entered a financing agreement to provide digital credit for inputs and insurance to over 1,000 smallholder maize farmers in Embu County. The partnership aims to boost agricultural production by offering farmers access to funds through the Safaricom-owned agri-tech platform, Digifarm. The financing will be based on the size of the farmers’ land and crop cycle, with a focus on promoting farming resilience and increasing yields. In addition to financial support, the farmers will also receive training on sustainable agricultural practices, market linkage, and financial literacy. This initiative is particularly important for counties like Embu, which…

InstinctWave, the organizer of Ghana’s premier technology industry awards, the Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA), has officially announced an indefinite postponement of the 13th edition of the Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards GITTA. This decision is attributed to the subdued level of competition within the sector in the last one and a half years. The GITTA Awards, which would have marked its 13th consecutive year since its inception in 2010, has been pivotal in recognizing and celebrating outstanding ICT initiatives that drive innovation in Ghana’s private and public sectors. Described by many as the ‘Oscars’ of the…

Microsoft, through its Africa Transformation Office, has partnered with Nigeria’s Terragon to support its cloud capabilities as Terragon makes plans to leverage Microsoft’s cloud technologies to provide brands with powerful consumer insights. The partnership, which will stand for three years, will afford African business owners’ access to a wide range of powerful customer insights. It will also drive Terragon’s work in the marketing technology space, while also assisting Microsoft’s ambition of enabling digital transformation through the cloud. Terragon deals in data and marketing, as it strives to build Africa’s largest and most unique data-powered marketing cloud ecosystem to help businesses on…

Amazon has launched its first pair of prototype satellites into space for its planned Kuiper internet network, as the e-commerce company positions itself to beam internet service globally and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The prototype satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida last Friday, 6th October. The company plans to deploy over 3,000 more Kuiper internet network satellites into orbit over the next few years. Rival, SpaceX plans to launch 5,000 satellites. The launch live stream was hosted by the United Launch Alliance, but did not show the deployment of the satellites. Amazon later said the two satellites had deployed…

Tech investors and analysts say Israel’s technology sector could face setbacks following Sunday’s attack from militants from Palestine group, Hamas, which left hundreds dead, and saw Israel’s stock and bond prices deflating. High-tech industries have, in recent decades, been the fastest growing sector in Israel. These companies have been crucial for economic growth, accounting for 14% of jobs and almost a fifth of gross domestic product. The Hamas attack has, however, disrupted this growth. “It is a huge disruption to business as usual,” chief investment officer and founding partner at US company, Cresset Wealth Advisors, Jack Ablin, said. He added…

Apple has reportedly held discussions with DuckDuckGo to potentially replace Google as the default search engine for the private mode on Apple’s Safari browser. The details of these talks are expected to be made public later this week, following a ruling by judge Amit Mehta in a federal antitrust suit against Google. Mehta has decided to unseal the testimony of DuckDuckGo CEO, Gabriel Weinberg, and Apple executive, John Giannandrea. The discussions between Microsoft and Apple, as well as DuckDuckGo and Apple, will also be revealed, as stated in Mehta’s order. Apple, DuckDuckGo, and Google have not yet responded to a…

Canadian technology company, BlackBerry, has announced plans to separate its internet of things (IoT) and cybersecurity business units, as it looks to pursue a subsidiary initial public offering for the IoT business in the next fiscal year. This move follows a trend among companies in recent years, as they opt for a more streamlined corporate structure to enable investors to assess their individual businesses more effectively. Notable examples include the recent spinoff of the packaged food giant formerly known as Kellogg, as well as the spinoffs by health-care giant Johnson & Johnson and industrial conglomerate General Electric. BlackBerry CEO, John…