In Nigeria, the message carries more weight because internet penetration has surged in recent years, with more than 103 million users recorded by late 2025.

With banking, shopping and social interaction moving online, cyber criminals are following at the same pace.

Data from Interpol show that phishing and online scams are the most common cyber threats across Africa. Nigeria ranks among the top three countries affected, largely due to rapid digital adoption that has overtaken security awareness.

Financial institutions regularly report heavy losses linked to online fraud. Today, attackers are no longer focusing only on corporate systems. They are targeting everyday devices, smartphones, laptops and even home Wi-Fi routers.

How Phones Are Being Targeted

Smartphones are prime targets because they store personal data, banking apps and social media accounts. For many Nigerians, the phone is the main gateway to the internet.

Mobile banking fraud accounts for a large share of reported cyber incidents. Fraud attempts have risen alongside the growth of digital payment platforms.

Criminals use fake apps, deceptive pop-ups and bogus software updates to trick users into installing malicious programs.

Some of these apps imitate trusted banking or shopping platforms. Once installed, they steal login details or secretly install malware.

Phishing messages remain widespread. Fraudsters send emails or text messages posing as banks, telecom providers or even friends. These messages often create panic or urgency, urging victims to click a link or share a one-time password.

SMS phishing, known as smishing, and SIM-swap fraud have become common in Nigeria. In many cases, victims lose access to their mobile lines, giving criminals a pathway into their bank accounts.

How Laptops Are Being Attacked

Laptops face similar risks, usually through email attachments or infected downloads. A single click on a compromised file can introduce ransomware or spyware into a system.

Email continues to be a key channel for phishing. Attackers disguise malicious attachments as invoices, job offers or official notices. Once opened, the malware can steal sensitive data or lock files until a ransom is paid.

Public Wi-Fi networks add another layer of risk. In cafes, airports and shared workspaces, unsecured connections can allow attackers to intercept data through what experts call “man-in-the-middle” attacks. Passwords, emails and financial information can be exposed without the user knowing.

Remote work and online learning are expanding across urban centres in Nigeria, and more people are connecting from outside secure home networks, increasing their vulnerability.

Why Wi-Fi Routers Are a Major Target

Wi-Fi routers are constantly overlooked, but they connect every device in a home or office. Once compromised, a router can give criminals access to all traffic passing through it.

Research by Broadband Genie indicates that about 86% of users do not change their router’s default administrator password. Default logins such as “admin” are widely known and easy to exploit.

Router breaches can be difficult to detect. Attackers may quietly monitor internet traffic, redirect users to fake websites or spread malware to connected devices. In some cases, compromised routers are added to botnets used for larger cyber attacks.

In Nigeria, where many households rely on basic router setups, a single weak password can expose phones, laptops and other smart devices on the same network.

Staying Safe Online

Cybersecurity experts say simple steps can reduce exposure to these threats.

For smartphones, users are advised to download apps only from official stores such as Google Play and the App Store. Avoid clicking unknown links, enable two-factor authentication and keep devices updated.

Laptop users should install reputable security software, avoid suspicious downloads and refrain from conducting sensitive transactions on public Wi-Fi without additional protection. Strong, unique passwords remain essential.

For routers, changing default login details is critical. Remote management features should be disabled if not needed, and firmware updates installed regularly.

Safer Internet Day reminds us that online safety is not only a government or corporate responsibility and everyday habits can make the difference between staying secure and becoming a victim.

Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, shares its advice to internet users to ensure continuous protection of their credentials.

According to the upcoming Sophos Active Adversary Report, compromised credentials were the leading cause of attacks (42.06%) in 2025.

This is a strong trend that continues to dominate the scene, with cyber attackers demonstrating ever-increasing ingenuity and relying on new tools to compromise the security and privacy of internet users.

John Shier, Field CISO Threat Intelligence at Sophos, said:

“The way attackers are using automation and generative AI to massively increase the speed and volume of their attacks suggests that attacks will become faster and more sophisticated. The best approach to protecting our identities and digital data is to take a proactive stance on defense.”

“Criminals are increasingly targeting people rather than devices, and this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Once again, AI is being used as a weapon to create highly detailed phishing lures to entice people to disclose passwords or financial information through well-designed emails, text messages, and WhatsApp messages.”

1. Keep your devices up to date: the most important and simplest measure you can take to protect yourself in the long term.

Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for computers that don’t have all the latest security patches, making them easy targets for compromise.

This includes computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and home Internet/Wi-Fi routers. In most cases, you just need to click “Check for Updates” or “Update Now” and allow the device to restart.

2. Use a password management tool, whether it is built into an operating system or a third-party tool.

Password uniqueness and complexity are then managed automatically, greatly facilitating account isolation and protection.

3. Enhance protection with phishing resistant (MFA).

Many websites offer the option of using an “authentication app,” a smartphone app that displays a unique code for a short period of time, which must be entered after the password, making it much more secure than simply using a password.

Better still, there is a new solution called “passkeys,” which generally uses biometric authentication on your smartphone (face scan, fingerprint) to log in without any password. This is the best choice when available.

John Shier concludes:

“Criminals will never stop trying to steal from us, so we must remain vigilant. We know that they are constantly improving and becoming more skilled at deceiving us, so it’s up to us to move forward and improve our protections to stay safe.”

On this Safer Internet Day 2024, Christopher Budd, director, threat research, Sophos X-Ops, offers us some valuable tips on how individuals and businesses can protect themselves on the internet—notably the importance of strong passwords to prevent credential theft, which is used to break into corporate networks and escalate privileges to steal data and eventually launch attacks such as ransomware.

Why is Safer Internet Day is Important?

Christopher Budd responds:

“While we all hate passwords and know they’re a pain, they remain important. Even today we see major companies compromised because of bad password management by them or their people. Using unique passwords for every site (or at least every important site) is still one of the best things you can do to keep yourself secure. In addition to using unique passwords, using a multifactor authentication app is a key step in securing critical accounts.”

The Sophos X-Ops’ Active Adversary Report found that in 2023, for the first time, compromised credentials were the number one root cause of attacks that lead to data theft and ransomware attacks, with over half (56%) of the attacks analyzed linked to a name/password sign-information that wound up in unfriendly hands. That’s a 26% jump from 2022 to 2023.

“It’s also important to remember the power of ‘no.’ The best way to protect your data and information is to not give it away in the first place. Just because a site asks you for your birthday, for instance, doesn’t mean they need it, or they’re entitled to it. If a site or service doesn’t have your information, they can’t lose it or accidently disclose it.

If you do just those two things, you’ll be a long way towards keeping yourself safer online,” added Budd.

Additional Tips to stay safe online include:

• Using caution when clicking on links
• Keeping all applications, apps, and devices up to date
• Investing in good security software
• Treating all unsolicited communications (email, phone calls, texts) as suspicious

• Meta has worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to expand Take It Down to more countries and languages, allowing millions more teens to take control of their intimate imagery.
• Meta has also partnered with Thorn to update our Stop Sextortion hub, offering new tips and resources for teens, parents and teachers on how to prevent and handle sextortion.
• Meta is supporting safety organizations and creators around the world to help raise awareness of sextortion scams and what teens and parents can do to take back control.

Having a personal intimate image shared with others can be devastating, especially for young people. It can feel even worse when someone threatens to share it if you don’t give them more photos, sexual contact or money — a crime known as sextortion.

That’s why, this Safer Internet Day, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is announcing new efforts to help combat this kind of criminal activity.

These include giving more teens control over their intimate images, helping teens  — and their parents and teachers  — feel better equipped against those trying to exploit them, and supporting creators and safety organizations around the world as part of a global campaign to raise awareness of sextortion.

Expanding Take It Down to More Languages and Countries

Take It Down is a program from NCMEC, supported by Meta, which is designed to help teens take back control of their intimate images and help prevent people — whether it’s scammers, ex-partners, or anyone else — from spreading them online.

First launched last year in English and Spanish, Meta and NCMEC are now expanding the platform to many more countries and languages, making it accessible to millions more teens around the world.

There are several ways people can use Take It Down to find and remove intimate imagery, or help prevent people sharing them in the first place:

• Young people under 18 who are worried their content has been, or may be, posted online
• Parents or trusted adults on behalf of a young person
• Adults who are concerned about images taken of them when they were under 18

Take It Down was designed to respect young people’s privacy and data security. To start the process, people can go to TakeItDown.NCMEC.org and follow the instructions to assign a unique hash — a digital fingerprint in the form of a numerical code — to their image or video, privately and securely from their own device.

Teens only need to submit the hash, rather than the intimate image or video itself, which never leaves their device.

Once the hash has been submitted to NCMEC, companies like Meta can find copies of the image, take them down and help prevent anyone who’s threatening them from posting them in the future.

“Making Take it Down available in 25 languages is a pivotal step towards safeguarding children from the horrors of online exploitation all over the world,” said John Shehan, a Senior Vice President with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “We aspire to ensure that every child, regardless of language or location, has the opportunity to reclaim their dignity and privacy by having their illicit content removed from participating platforms.”

Take It Down builds off of the success of platforms like StopNCII, which helps prevent those seeking to exploit people from sharing adults’ intimate images online.

New Resources for Teens, Parents and Teachers to Help Prevent Sextortion 

These moments can be upsetting and isolating, especially for young people, who may feel too scared to ask for help.

“That’s why we’ve worked with Thorn, a non-profit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse, to develop updated guidance for teens on how to take back control if someone is sextorting them. It also includes advice for parents and teachers on how to support their teens or students if they’re affected by these scams. The new resources can be found in our updated Sextortion hub within Meta’s Safety Center,”, the company said in a statement available to Techeconomy.

Kelbi Schnabel, Senior Manager at Thorn, said:

“Our work with Meta to provide targeted, robust sextortion resources has helped Thorn significantly enhance our efforts in combating sextortion. Our joint initiative is already empowering parents and teens to understand the risks and take action, which is a testament to the power of collaborative action in tackling complex challenges like sextortion. The result of our collaboration underscores the importance of accessible, comprehensive resources in the digital era.”

To help make sure teens and parents everywhere know about these scammers and what they can do to avoid them, Meta is launching a global campaign, supporting safety organizations and working with incredible creators around the world to help raise awareness.

[Featured Image Credit]

The new era of the internet, which is much advanced, has transformed and modernized our lives in the way we communicate, run businesses, research, network and learn. While this is great, there are a number of risks, such as malicious cyber-attacks and the disclosure of personal information.

This ‘Safer Internet Day’ all smartphone users, are urged to be responsible in how they use the internet and digital platforms. Figuring out how to maintain a safe digital environment is not difficult and often comes in the form of regulating browser settings to filter inappropriate content.

In addition, it’s important to find out if and how you are protected with every digital touchpoint you interact with.

Here’s how Huawei mobile users can stay protected while on the internet:

1. Use a secure browser

If you are using a Huawei device then you are definitely part of the Petal Search community that is spoilt for choice, thanks to its improved features and innovative search experience.

Did you know that Huawei supports technologies that allow you to use visual search and voice search to find the things you love. As significant as this is to know, it’s equally important to find out how you are secured on the internet.

Petal Search abides to strict privacy and copyright protection standards and is GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant, ensuring that users are safe, no matter what form of content they are searching for. Here’s what you can do while searching, incognito browsing enables you to browse privately. Data that is personal to you, is not monitored or examined.

For an extra layer of protection, users can also apply restrictions to exclude illicit content and other insensitive information. In addition, you can search confidently, knowing that all new and updated content adhere to copyrights and is supported in alliance with copyright organizations and all content providers.

2. Download apps that help you generate strong passwords and alert you of risks 

While apps provide a convenient way to access content and services, they can also help protect you from the dark web and possible malicious activities.

In AppGallery, you are provided with all information to help you make good choices ahead of downloading security apps. The app market uses a 360° protection approach so that users can explore and safely download a wide range of apps. The ratings provided will also give you a good indication of which apps come highly recommended.

Keeper, is a trusted secure password hub that protects your personal data while storing private documents like files, images and videos in your own encrypted vault. By enabling BreachWatch on the app, you can use this monitoring feature to thoroughly examine the Dark Web for passwords that have been disclosed.  In addition, Keeper cooperates with Two-Factor Authentication providers, like Duo Security, RSA SecurID, SMS and Yubikey to ensure all confidential information is highly protected.

Other apps that work similarly to Keeper, include SecureX which can erase unwanted data and generate an emergency pin code, while Remember Password helps users automatically logout after a period of inactivity to avoid unwanted access to your files.

With the Wifi WPS WPA Tester, you can find out if there is any vulnerability in your Access Point WiFi by testing several WPS PIN attacks.

3. Store your data in an ultra-secure cloud

The Huawei Mobile Cloud stores all your data, from documents, contacts, calendars, to images and recordings. With information being both important and sensitive, Huawei Mobile Cloud has locked their platform with industry-leading privacy protection technologies.

The cloud stringently monitors data collection, transmission and storage using multi-level data encryption that provides optimal security.

To preserve the safety environment, the cloud undergoes rigorous compliance checks to ensure that users do not fall victim of malicious practices.

Now that you know how you are protected on the internet and across Huawei’s digital ecosystem, you can use its services with ease.

Coupled with this, you should always be aware of the kind of content you consume and how you can better ensure that your data is protected.

That is why on this year’s Safer Internet Day, we’d like to celebrate young people’s role in creating a safer internet by sharing some Safety tips (tools) you need to manage your network and connect with the content that you’ll most enjoy.

1. Safety Tips – Define your circle

So, to get the best experience out of your interactions with people online, it is safer to connect, like and follow people and pages that you share the same interests with and also those whom you have many common friends with.

Always remember to manage your network by friending people you know and following people you find interesting but don’t know personally, such as a celebrity.

You can also unfriend and unfollow pages of people and celebrities whenever you like. You can also choose to block profiles of people you no longer want to be in touch with.

When you block someone, they won’t be able to find you in a search, start conversations with you or see things you post. In addition, people you block can no longer tag you, invite you to events or groups, or add you as a friend.

2. Reporting violating content

Much as we try to be careful around the people, communities, videos and comments that we see online, we’re oftentimes confronted with content that violates what we stand for.

There is a link on nearly every Facebook post for reporting abuse, bullying, harassment and other issues. Our global teams work 24/7 to review things that you report and remove anything that violates our Community Standards and the vast majority of reports are reviewed within 24 hours.

The best way to report abusive content or spam on Facebook is by using the Report link that appears near the content itself.

To report a post, photo or comment, click on the top right and choose the option that best describes the issue, then follow the on-screen instructions. Learn more about reporting other types of content.

3. Safety Tips – Keeping your account safe

Keeping your account safe should always be a priority. The first and most important step in ensuring this is your password.

Passwords need to be easy for you to remember but at the same time hard for an intruder to figure out. While creating your password, keep the following in mind;

• Use passwords that are hard to guess. Make sure they are at least 6 characters long and use a combination of numbers, letters and special characters.
• Use a different password for each of your accounts. That way, if someone learns your password, they don’t have access to all your accounts.
• Don’t share your passwords with other people.

4. Safety Tips Engagement control

Did you know that it is now easier to limit the number of interactions from people you are not interested in?

When you want to take a break from someone, changing your privacy settings will help you see less of their posts, photos or comments they are tagged in. They will also see less of yours.

5. Notifications fatigue?

We like being on top of news and information around us, but things can get a little bit too much sometimes. If your phone is always lighting up and blinking with notifications that are distracting, you can now manage this for a better social media experience.

Adjust the notification settings follow on your phone in three simple the steps;

• Click at the top-right corner and select Settings.
• Click Notifications on the left.
• Click to adjust how you get notifications and what you get notified about.

Visit Facebook Youth Portal to learn more about our efforts in ensuring safety within our family of apps.