The training, held at the Staff Clinic Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, was themed “Cybersecurity in 2026: Defending Against Modern Threats in a Digital Workplace.”

It brought together personnel from multiple MDAs to improve their understanding of emerging cyber risks and modern security best practices.

The programme focused on key cybersecurity threats expected to shape the digital landscape in 2026. These included artificial intelligence-driven attacks, deepfake-enabled fraud, advanced phishing schemes, ransomware, identity theft, cloud security risks, and supply chain compromises.

Participants were taken through interactive lectures, scenario-based discussions, case studies, and practical sessions aimed at improving their ability to identify, prevent, and respond to cyber threats in the workplace.

Speaking during one of the sessions, Mr Olabanji Soledayo, Strategic Partnership manager and Cybersecurity Awareness evangelist at ESET Nigeria highlighted the growing importance of human awareness in combating sophisticated cyberattacks and safeguarding digital work environments.

He noted that individuals within organisations are a critical line of defence as attackers rely more on social engineering and identity-based tactics.

He also commended the Lagos State Government for its continued collaboration with ESET in strengthening cybersecurity capacity across its institutions.

Technical sessions at the training covered areas including email security, endpoint protection, ransomware defence, threat detection, and modern cybersecurity practices relevant to government institutions.

Speaking at the event, Mr Kadri Shamusideen, deputy director, Ministry of Science and Technology emphasized the importance of cybersecurity awareness as government services continue to undergo digital transformation.

He added that as government operations become increasingly digitised, cybersecurity awareness has become a critical component of public service delivery.

While technology provides the necessary security controls, our employees remain the first line of defence against cyber threats. Continuous education and awareness are therefore essential in ensuring that staff can identify emerging threats and respond appropriately.

Mr Kadri described the training as timely and relevant, noting that cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and sophistication, commending the impressive turnout of participants and the support received from various MDAs across Lagos State.

According to him, strategic collaboration between government institutions and cybersecurity industry leaders remains critical to strengthening national cyber resilience.

ESET Nigeria noted that the programme forms part of its broader commitment to helping organisations across Nigeria improve cyber resilience through awareness, education, and advanced cybersecurity solutions.

The company noted that as cybercriminals increasingly adopt artificial intelligence, social engineering techniques, and identity-based attacks, employee awareness remains one of the most effective defences against modern cyber threats.

GPT-5.4-Cyber is a version of OpenAI’s latest model adjusted for defensive security work and will not be widely available at launch. Instead, OpenAI is giving early access to selected security firms, organisations and researchers.

The release follows Anthropic’s recent launch of its own frontier model, Mythos. That system is being tested under a restricted programme known as Project Glasswing, where only approved groups can use it for cybersecurity tasks.

According to Anthropic, the model has already identified thousands of serious weaknesses across software systems.

OpenAI is taking a comparable route but with a wider rollout plan over time. The company is expanding its Trusted Access for Cyber programme, which it introduced earlier this year. This scheme verifies users before granting them access to more capable tools.

Under the updated structure, more individuals and teams will be admitted, but access depends on how much information they provide to confirm their identity and role. Those in the highest tier will be allowed to use GPT-5.4-Cyber.

The company said the model has fewer restrictions when handling sensitive tasks such as vulnerability research and code analysis. It is designed to support security professionals who need to examine software more deeply, including analysing compiled programmes without access to their source code.

At the same time, OpenAI is carefully monitoring how the system is used. Because the model allows more freedom, the company is limiting its release and adjusting safeguards as it learns from real-world use.

Tools like GPT-5.4-Cyber can be used for both defence and attack, OpenAI acknowledged that risk, noting that threat actors are already experimenting with artificial intelligence to find new ways into systems.

To manage that, the company said access will not just depend on the model itself, but on who is using it and for what purpose. Strong identity checks and clearer signals of intent are being built into the process.

The aim is to make security tools more widely available without opening the door to misuse. OpenAI said it does not want to decide centrally who gets to defend systems, but it still needs controls that can scale.

This latest release builds on earlier initiatives, including its cybersecurity grant programme and tools designed to scan and fix software vulnerabilities. The company said these systems have already helped address thousands of high-risk issues.

OpenAI expects both risks and benefits to grow, saying future models will likely require stronger protection, even as they provide more advanced support for those working to protect digital infrastructure.

The company said net income for the year reached $1.06 billion, up from $845.7 million in 2024. Earnings per share also climbed, with GAAP EPS rising 29% to $9.62.

In the fourth quarter alone, revenue came in at $745 million, a 6% increase year on year. Subscription revenue stood out, rising 11% to $325 million.

Check Point: Eight Key Trends Will Define Africa’s Cyber Security in 2026

Growth is not coming from one-off sales, it is being driven by recurring security subscriptions, which now account for a large share of total income.

The company also reported calculated billings of $2.9 billion for the full year, up 9%. Remaining performance obligations, which show future contracted revenue, reached $2.73 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Nadav Zafrir said: “We delivered solid fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, with revenue landing above the midpoint of our outlook and EPS exceeding expectations. Our performance remained resilient throughout the year, driven by continued customer adoption across our Hybrid Mesh Network and Workspace platforms.”

He added: “In 2026, our strategy is centred on securing our customers’ AI transformation across the enterprise. We are focused on executing against our four strategic pillars, Hybrid Mesh, Workspace, and Exposure Management, while embedding AI-driven security throughout our portfolio.

“Today’s announced acquisition of Cyata further expands our AI security stack, enabling full discovery, governance, and control of AI agents as organisations accelerate their AI journeys.”

Beyond earnings, the company moved to strengthen its product offering. It announced three acquisitions in early 2026, covering AI security, asset monitoring, and managed service platforms.

Cash reserves more than doubled during the year. Cash, marketable securities and short-term deposits rose to $4.34 billion from $2.78 billion. The increase followed proceeds from a $2 billion convertible notes offering.

At the same time, Check Point returned money to shareholders. It repurchased about 6.8 million shares in 2025 at a total cost of $1.4 billion.

Cash flow from operations also improved, reaching $1.23 billion for the year despite a one-off tax payment linked to prior years.

Check Point is growing steadily, with stronger revenue in 2025, thriving subscriptions, and a larger cash position in 2026.

The data places Nigeria at the centre of a continental problem. While Africa’s digital economy is expanding speedily, security readiness is struggling to keep pace. 

Across the continent, organisations recorded an average of 3,153 cyberattacks per week, compared with 1,963 globally, putting Africa among the most targeted regions in the world.

In Nigeria, the financial sector is the main target. Banks, payment platforms, and fintech firms continue to face heavy pressure from phishing, business email compromise, and credential theft. 

Telecoms, energy, and healthcare operators are also seeing growing exposure as cloud services, mobile platforms, and connected devices are rolled out faster than security controls can mature.

The unique part is not just volume, but method. Across Africa, 77% of organisations were affected by information disclosure incidents, meaning sensitive data was exposed through misconfigurations, weak access controls, or unsecured systems. 

Email is the most effective entry point, responsible for 80% of malicious file delivery, showing that basic weaknesses are still being exploited at scale.

Ransomware has also changed shape. The report shows that 41% of major incidents in Africa now involve data-leak extortion, where attackers steal information and threaten public exposure rather than relying solely on system encryption. 

This approach increases reputational damage and regulatory risk, even when core operations remain running.

In Nigeria, identity theft, stolen session tokens, and API abuse are now more common than traditional malware attacks. In simple terms, attackers are logging in using valid credentials instead of forcing their way through defences.

Beyond Nigeria, several African countries are facing high pressure when it comes to cyberattacks. Kenya recorded 3,758 attacks per organisation each week, while South Africa, Morocco, and other markets continue to see heavy targeting of government services, education systems, and telecom infrastructure.

The operational cost of these attacks is rising. African organisations take an average of 18 days to detect and contain a breach, six days longer than the global average. The report links this delay to skills shortages, fragmented tools, and limited incident response capacity across many sectors.

High-profile incidents in 2025 underline the risk. Data exposure at Seychelles Commercial Bank, service disruption at South African Airways, and unauthorised access to customer data at MTN South Africa all followed a similar pattern: customer-facing systems were targeted, investigations were triggered, and trust became the real casualty.

Regulation is now increasing the pressure. With Europe enforcing stricter cybersecurity regulations under the NIS2 directive, African companies that trade with EU partners are expected to prove strong cyber controls as a condition for market access. Security, the report notes, has become a commercial requirement, not a back-office concern.

From Nigeria to the rest of the continent, Africa’s digital growth is speeding up, but attackers are moving just as fast. 

Cybersecurity in Africa has gone beyond preparing for future risks. The threat is already here, and for countries like Nigeria, the cost of inaction is becoming impossible to ignore.

The messaging platform now allows users to secure and access their backups using passkeys. This lets users secure their chat history using fingerprint, facial recognition, or screen lock code. 

Replacing the old method that required WhatsApp users to store a 64-character encryption key or recall a backup password, the passkey makes security become as effortless as unlocking your phone, a simple tap or glance is all it takes to protect or restore your chat history.

WhatsApp says users can now restore their chats seamlessly even after losing a device, without having to hunt for passwords or manually enter encryption keys. The system relies on biometric or device-level authentication, giving users a faster way to protect their data.

“Many of us carry years of precious memories in our WhatsApp chats – photos, heartfelt voice notes, and important conversations,” the company said. “That’s why protecting them if you ever lose your phone or need to transfer to a new device is so important.”

The passkey upgrade expands on the WhatsApp end-to-end encrypted backups introduced in 2021, reiterating the company’s focus on a password-free app.

It also builds on the platform’s earlier rollout of passkeys for account logins, making it clear that WhatsApp wants to make strong security simpler for everyone.

WhatsApp, which now serves over 3 billion users worldwide, said the new feature will roll out gradually over the next few weeks and months on both Android and iOS..

To activate the feature once available, users can open Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > End-to-End Encrypted Backup, then choose to secure their backups using a passkey.