Safeguarding Nigerian Businesses: The Crucial Role of ZORACOM NSOC Centre in Cybersecurity

Safeguarding Nigerian Businesses: The Crucial Role of ZORACOM NSOC Centre in Cybersecurity

 

 

Breaches are one thing that any modern company must be wary of and invest to protect. As we are getting more exposed in the virtual world, the 21st century company is digitally savvy and the need to be online is critical, protecting these online credentials and assets becomes imminent and imperative. Zoracom, an indigenous IT firm located in the upscale are of Lagos has one of the best facilities in the sub- Saharan Africa to protect your assets against any breach of any kind. Known as NSOC Centre (Network Security Operations Centre), this facility has been described as one of a kind in ECOWAS region.

The ZORACOM NSOC Centre holds significant importance for Nigerian businesses in the realm of cybersecurity and safeguarding their digital infrastructure. In today’s interconnected world, where businesses heavily rely on technology and data, the need for robust cybersecurity measures is paramount. The ZORACOM NSOC Centre plays a crucial role in addressing this need by providing advanced security services, proactive monitoring, and incident response capabilities.

First and foremost, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre serves as a centralized hub for monitoring and protecting the networks and systems of Nigerian businesses. It employs cutting-edge technologies, sophisticated tools, and a team of skilled cybersecurity professionals to continuously monitor network traffic, detect any suspicious activities or potential threats, and respond swiftly to mitigate risks. This proactive approach helps in identifying and neutralizing security breaches before they can cause significant harm to businesses.Zoracom

By leveraging advanced threat intelligence and analytics, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre can identify emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and attack patterns. This allows them to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and implement effective countermeasures. Nigerian businesses can benefit from this intelligence-driven approach as it enhances their ability to protect sensitive data, intellectual property, and customer information, thus fostering trust and reliability.

Moreover, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre offers real-time incident response capabilities. In the event of a security incident or breach, the NSOC team promptly responds to contain the threat, minimize the impact, and restore normal operations. This rapid response is crucial for businesses as it reduces downtime, prevents financial losses, and protects their reputation.

Additionally, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre provides round-the-clock support, ensuring that Nigerian businesses have constant access to cybersecurity expertise. This support extends beyond incident response to include proactive advice, best practices, and security awareness training. Such guidance helps organizations develop robust security policies, implement effective security controls, and educate their employees about potential risks, thereby strengthening their overall security posture.

Furthermore, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre plays a vital role in compliance management. It assists businesses in meeting regulatory requirements and industry standards related to data protection and cybersecurity. This is particularly crucial for sectors such as finance, healthcare, and telecommunications, where compliance is highly regulated and non-compliance can result in severe penalties. The NSOC Centre helps Nigerian businesses navigate these complex compliance landscapes, ensuring they adhere to the necessary security protocols.

In summary, the ZORACOM NSOC Centre is of utmost importance to Nigerian businesses due to its role in enhancing cybersecurity, providing real-time monitoring and incident response, offering expert support, and ensuring compliance. By leveraging the services of the NSOC Centre, Nigerian businesses can safeguard their digital assets, mitigate cyber threats, and foster a secure environment that enables growth, innovation, and sustained success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

The anatomy of a scam: Psychological tricks payment fraudsters use to get their way

The anatomy of a scam: Psychological tricks payment fraudsters use to get their way

 

 

The rise in finance and accounting cybercrime through phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) has made headlines with massive implications for South African companies with gaps in their payment systems. “However, robust financial controls together with strong server, IT, and email monitoring processes aren’t enough if staff aren’t savvy to the psychological tricks scammers use to manipulate people, making them more vulnerable to tricker and deception,” says Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider.

 

Mer says it’s a myth that only gullible, unskilled professionals are susceptible to scams. “The misconception that only foolish individuals fall victim to cybercrime and payment fraud is dangerous because it leads to complacency in the highly educated who occupy senior positions within organisations. Criminals engaging in payment are often well-skilled, well-resourced and armed with enough industry knowledge to appear legitimate.”

 

Manipulating trust and competence

Scammers rely on human impulses to be helpful, avoid conflict, and problem-solve quickly and effectively to extract information or manipulate targets into taking action.

 

A common modus operandi is an attempt to win the trust of a potential victim by impersonating a known or trusted figure. Examples include an employee receiving a mail from an organisation’s financial director instructing them to arrange urgent payment to a supplier or an HR manager receiving a polite email from a member of staff requesting their bank details be changed for payroll purposes.

 

“An employee’s desire to perform their duties swiftly and competently, especially for a trusted figure of authority, is manipulated by criminals who rely on an instruction being actioned without question for a scam to be successful. In such instances, only an automated system for detecting red flags in outbound payments can offer the level of protection organisations really need to counter human error,” says Mer.

 

Banking on urgency

While scammers become increasingly inventive, an age-old tactic cybercriminals routinely rely on is creating a sense of urgency in their victims. Mer says phishing messages and business email compromise scams are designed to make employees more likely comply with a potential threat that they know they should report. “Scammers lure victims into acting quickly before they have time to think rationally about the activities they’re undertaking. Implementing processes that require staff to slow down and double-check any actions that involve payments is vital.”

 

He adds that a sudden change in customer or supplier business practices, such as a new point of contact, change of email address or banking details should be viewed with caution and thoroughly verified before complying with an urgent request. “In many organisations, there is a concerning disconnect between the theoretical controls in place and what actually happens in everyday business contexts. Cybercriminals often rely on the herd principle in which people in organisations adopt the behaviour of those around them. The risk that one person in a team complies with a scammer may result in others being deceived in the same way. Sound business processes and educated staff, while essential, can only protect a business so far as sophisticated phishing and BEC scams can defeat the internal controls of even the most vigilant teams,” says Mer.

 

Extra, automated protection

Cybercrime is constantly evolving which makes it a moving target. Interpol’s last African Cyberthreat Assessment Report published in 2021, placed South Africa as having the third-highest number of cybercrime victims in the world, costing the country a staggering R2.2-billion annually. “Ongoing education on the latest scams and the tactics used to execute them is crucial for South African companies. In addition, independent third-party verification systems like eftsure can offer a much-need extra layer of protection by automating payment checking and supplier verification, saving time on manual processes and reducing human error,” notes Mer.