But peace cannot be reported if the professionals doing the reporting are constantly under digital restrictions.

We are now in an era where traditional reporting and AI technology have converged, and devices as simple as smartphones can serve as an entire newsroom, from writing to video making and live broadcasts.

For the modern reporter, reliance on a single device creates vulnerabilities, because if the hardware is compromised and the truth is not documented and released, the “future at peace” journalists are debating in Lusaka becomes an impossibility.

Press freedom cannot rely on legal protections anymore. In 2026, it’s being built directly into the Neural Processing Units of our devices, and to achieve the promises of this year’s Press Freedom summit, we must focus on 2 innovations in 2026 changing how journalists especially in Nigeria, stay free and safe:

• Consent
• Invisibility

Consent (The Digital “Right to Refuse”)

This addresses forced device searches and legal harassment, which remain one of the most serious threats to Press freedom especially in Nigeria.

With the increasing pressure from the press, the Nigerian Guild of Editors and SERAP have renewed their demand for better government action to protect journalists from threats that hamper accountability and transparency.

Hardware security in 2026 fulfils this right to refuse through Biometric Gating and Advanced Lockdown Kill-Switch.

Biometrics Gating is a feature that ensures that sensitive settings in a device remain locked, even from the owner, except in a safe predetermined location and with a biometric scan. While this is an amazing feature that prevents unwarranted searches, the Lockdown Kill-Switch is a better innovation.

With a hidden gesture, a journalist can instantly disable every biometric access, and force the device to restart. With this, instead of relying on biometric logging, like fingerprint and face scan, which can be forced, the system relies on passwords and memory that journalists can legally refuse to share.

It gives journalists a safeguard against legal intimidation and SLAPP lawsuits, the same issues being debated in Lusaka today.

Invisibility (OS-Level Sandboxing)

In a situation where a device is unlocked, the most important protection is the ability to keep very sensitive data hidden. This is the function of Invisibility, achieved through 2026’s OS-level sandboxing.

As the Lusaka conference highlights the role of AI in shaping the future of peace, the hardware industry is now adopting Zero-Trust systems that keep each app and its data in its own sealed box.

For journalists or media professionals, this means their personal apps or files will not show up on the app menu or even send notifications, making them invisible to unauthorised observers. They also don’t drain the battery in any suspicious way.

The Press Freedom Day Conference in Lusaka has provided the framework for a Future at Peace, but real protection for journalists, especially in this digital era, starts with the chip in their phones and laptops.

For the global press to be truly free, these hardware protection features need to be available to every device, not just high-end ones. The future of press freedom will depend on technology, not just legal rights written on paper.

The company recognises the need for a hybrid approach that allows businesses to choose between SaaS-based and on-premises solutions to align with their specific requirements, particularly in closed networks, highly regulated environments, and those with strict data privacy controls.

Troye technical director Kurt Goodall says Citrix SPA On-Prem is a customer-managed ZTNA solution designed to provide VPN-less access to internal web and SaaS applications.

“This solution follows the least privilege principle, offering single sign-on (SSO), Multifactor Authentication, device posture assessment, application-level security controls, and app protection features, all while ensuring a seamless end-user experience.”

“Leveraging the existing infrastructure, the solution utilises StoreFront on-premises and Citrix Workspace app to enable secure access to web and SaaS apps within Citrix Enterprise Browser. NetScaler Gateway acts as the remote access proxy for web app sessions, enforcing multi-factor authentication and authorisation controls,” he explains.

Key use cases addressed by Citrix SPA On-Prem include secure access for employees and contractors, enabling secure access to internal web and SaaS apps from managed or unmanaged devices without the need for publishing a browser or using VPN.

It also offers comprehensive last mile Zero Trust enforcement, providing admin-configurable browser security controls for internal web and SaaS apps from managed or unmanaged devices, ensuring consistent security without publishing a browser or using VPN.

Furthermore, SPA On-Prem offers accelerated mergers and acquisitions (M&A), it facilitates user access across multiple identity providers during M&A activities, ensuring consistent security and seamless end-user access across various user groups.

Benefits of Citrix SPA On-Prem includes:

• No changes required to existing architecture or deployments
• Enables single sign-on, reducing dependency on traditional VPNs
• Utilises Citrix Enterprise Browser for enhanced security controls
• Offers contextual security controls based on user group, device, and network location

“Citrix Secure Private Access On-Premises is a major milestone in our commitment to delivering ZTNA solutions tailored to meet our customers’ evolving needs,” said Goodall. “This solution provides businesses with the flexibility to adopt a phased approach to Zero Trust Network Access while enhancing security, compliance, and overall end-user experience.”

In today’s digital landscape, organisations face a constant barrage of cyber threats. Traditional perimeter-based security measures are no longer sufficient in safeguarding sensitive data and critical assets. As businesses continue to evolve and adopt cloud-based technologies, a proactive and comprehensive approach to cybersecurity becomes imperative.

Enter the Zero Trust strategy – a security framework that has gained significant traction in recent years. Let’s explore the key elements of a Zero Trust strategy and provide insights into better implementing it to fortify your organisation’s defences against ever-evolving cyber threats.

Zero Trust is a security philosophy that assumes no implicit trust in any user, device, or network within an organisation. It requires organisations to verify and validate every user and device attempting to access resources, regardless of their location or network connection.

Unlike the traditional perimeter-based approach, where once inside the network, users have relatively free access, Zero Trust embraces the concept of ‘never trust, always verify’.

Implementing a Zero Trust strategy should include the following elements:

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Implementing robust IAM practices is at the core of a Zero Trust strategy. By leveraging multi-factor authentication, strong password policies, and role-based access controls, organisations can ensure that only authorised individuals gain access to sensitive resources.

Micro-segmentation

Micro-segmentation involves dividing the network into smaller, isolated segments, making it harder for attackers to move laterally if they gain access. By limiting access between segments and applying strict access controls, organisations can minimise the potential impact of a security breach.

Continuous Monitoring

Effective monitoring and visibility are crucial for detecting and mitigating potential security incidents promptly. Implementing real-time threat detection and response capabilities, along with security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, can provide organisations with the necessary visibility into network activities and enable proactive threat hunting.

Least Privilege

Adopting the principle of least privilege ensures that users and devices have only the minimum access necessary to perform their roles and responsibilities. This mitigates the risk of unauthorised access and limits the potential damage caused by compromised credentials.

Secure Remote Access

With the rise of remote work, organisations must establish secure remote access mechanisms. Zero Trust principles can help by requiring strong authentication, device health checks, and encrypted connections for remote users.

Choosing MDR over MSSP or SIEM?

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and businesses are faced with the challenge of protecting their sensitive data and systems from ever-increasing threats. In this digital age, organisations need robust security measures in place to safeguard against cyberattacks. When it comes to Managed Detection and Response (MDR) versus Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions, the choice is crucial.

MDR offers a proactive approach to cybersecurity, leveraging advanced technology and expert analysts to detect and respond to threats in real-time. Unlike MSSPs that rely heavily on SIEM tools, MDR combines cutting-edge technology with human expertise, ensuring a more comprehensive and effective defence strategy.

With MDR, businesses can gain the upper hand in the battle against cyber threats by leveraging continuous monitoring, threat hunting, incident response, and remediation services, all tailored to their specific needs. By choosing MDR over MSSP with SIEM, organisations can achieve a higher level of security, enhanced threat detection, and a faster response to mitigate potential risks.

Arctic Wolf’s Security Operations go above and beyond traditional Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, offering a range of additional capabilities. One notable feature is the provision of a dedicated Concierge Security Team (CST) for each customer account.

These highly skilled engineers serve as trusted security advisors and seamlessly integrate with the customers’ IT staff. The CST leverages a Hybrid AI approach, combining human expertise with machine learning, resulting in 10 times better threat detection and five times fewer false positives.

Arctic Wolf’s security optimised data architecture dynamically scales to handle and analyse unlimited amounts of log data, ensuring comprehensive visibility. Their customisable rules engine empowers Concierge Security Engineers to tailor their services to meet specific customer needs.

Furthermore, Arctic Wolf extends their monitoring capabilities to include cloud environments such as infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), software-as-a-service (SaaS), and security-as-a-service (SecaaS). With predictable pricing based on the company’s size and network infrastructure, Arctic Wolf provides continuous coverage, expert security operations, and personalised recommendations to enhance overall security posture.

Conclusion

As cyber threats continue to evolve, organisations must adapt their security strategies accordingly. Implementing a Zero Trust strategy is a proactive and effective approach to strengthen cybersecurity defences.

By embracing the principles of verification, segmentation, continuous monitoring, least privilege, and secure remote access, organisations can build a robust security posture.

Leveraging MDR can further enhance the effectiveness of a Zero Trust strategy. With a comprehensive and well-executed Zero Trust approach, organisations can better protect their critical assets, mitigate risks, and safeguard against the ever-changing threat landscape.

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HP Inc., today issued its third quarter HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report, finding that archive file formats – such as ZIP and RAR files – were the most common file type for delivering malware, surpassing Office files for the first time in three years.

This report provides an analysis of real-world cyberattacks, helping organizations to keep up with the latest techniques cybercriminals use to evade detection and breach users in the fast-changing cybercrime landscape.

Based on data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security, the research found 44% of malware was delivered inside archive files – an 11% rise on the previous quarter – compared to 32% delivered through Office files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The report identified several campaigns that were combining the use of archive files with new HTML smuggling techniques – where cybercriminals embed malicious archive files into HTML files to bypass email gateways – to then launch attacks.

For example, recent QakBot and IceID campaigns used HTML files to direct users to fake online document viewers that were masquerading as Adobe. Users were then instructed to open a ZIP file and enter a password to unpack the files, which then deployed malware onto their PCs.

As the malware within the original HTML file is encoded and encrypted, detection by email gateway or other security tools is very difficult. Instead, the attacker relies on social engineering, creating a convincing and well-designed web page to fool people into initiating the attack by opening the malicious ZIP file. In October, the same attackers were also found using fake Google Drive pages in an ongoing effort to trick users into opening malicious ZIP files.

“Archives are easy to encrypt, helping threat actors to conceal malware and evade web proxies, sandboxes, or email scanners. This makes attacks difficult to detect, especially when combined with HTML smuggling techniques. What was interesting with the QakBot and IceID campaigns was the effort put in to creating the fake pages – these campaigns were more convincing than what we’ve seen before, making it hard for people to know what files they can and can’t trust,” explains Alex Holland, Senior Malware Analyst, HP Wolf Security threat research team, HP Inc.

HP also identified a complex campaign using a modular infection chain, which could potentially enable attackers to change the payload – such as spyware, ransomware, keylogger – mid-campaign, or to introduce new features, like geo-fencing. This could enable an attacker to change tactics depending on the target they have breached. By not including malware directly in the attachment sent to the target, it is also harder for email gateways to detect this type of attack.

“As shown, attackers are constantly switching up techniques, making it very difficult for detection tools to spot,” comments Dr Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, HP Inc. “By following the Zero Trust principle of fine-grained isolation, organizations can use micro-virtualization to make sure potentially malicious tasks – like clicking on links or opening malicious attachments – are executed in a disposable virtual machine separated from the underlying systems. This process is completely invisible to the user, and traps any malware hidden within, making sure attackers have no access to sensitive data and preventing them from gaining access and moving laterally.”

HP Wolf Security runs risky tasks like opening email attachments, downloading files and clicking links in isolated, micro-virtual machines (micro-VMs) to protect users, capturing detailed traces of attempted infections.

HP’s application isolation technology mitigates threats that can slip past other security tools and provides unique insights into novel intrusion techniques and threat actor behavior.

By isolating threats on PCs that have evaded detection tools, HP Wolf Security has specific insight into the latest techniques being used by cybercriminals.

To date, HP customers have clicked on over 18 billion email attachments, web pages, and downloaded files with no reported breaches.

This will enable Spire to serve as the distributor for Conceal’s platform and ConcealBrowse solution in the Middle East and Africa regions.

According to Gartner, increasing cyberattacks, threats to cyber-physical infrastructures, and the malicious nature of ransomware are expected to increase end-user spending on security and risk management in the Middle East and North Africa to total $2.6 billion in 2022, an increase of 11.2% from 2021.

“Globally, we are at a critical inflection point as Zero Trust becomes validated as the most effective approach for securing enterprise IT environments and online services delivery,” said Sanjeev Walia, Founder & President at Spire Solutions. “Conceal’s patented zero trust solutions are proven in their deployment with the Fortune 100 and some of the world’s largest government agencies. We are honored to partner with Conceal to make these solutions accessible in the Middle East & African regions too.”

ConcealBrowse was recently introduced and performs pre and post-processing of code on a computer to protect against browser-borne attacks including RATs, Trojans, Worms, Ransomware, Browser Hijacking, and more. 

It leverages an intelligence engine that works at machine speed with near-zero latency to dynamically and transparently pre-process and analyze code and move suspicious, unknown, and risky code to a cloud-based isolation environment.

This unique, patented approach ensures that malicious code or files never enter enterprise devices and cannot infiltrate the network.

ConcealBrowse works with existing browsers and supports all popular operating systems, integrates with Microsoft Active Directory, single sign-on authentication, and other identity management systems.

“The proven success of our platform is enabling Conceal to embark on an aggressive global growth strategy,” said Gordon Lawson, CEO of Conceal. “The Middle East and Africa are experiencing significantly increasing demand for zero trust solutions and are a natural next step for Conceal. The Spire team has proven their leadership in these regions and we look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership.” While at GITEX, you can meet Conceal in the Spire Stand H2-B1 in Hall 2 of the Dubai World Trade Center.