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The Latest Trends and Best Practices in Cybersecurity: Ensuring Secure Software Development

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NerdBug

In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity remains a top priority for organizations worldwide. As cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, staying updated with the latest trends and adhering to best practices is crucial. This article explores the current trends in cybersecurity and outlines the software development requirements necessary for organizations to align with the trends and industry standards.

Latest Trends in Cybersecurity

  1. Zero Trust Architecture: Traditional perimeter-based security models are becoming obsolete. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is a security model that assumes no user or device, whether inside or outside the network, can be trusted by default. Verification is required from everyone attempting to access resources on the network. This model helps prevent data breaches by implementing strict identity verification processes.
  1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: AI and ML are being leveraged to enhance threat detection and response. These technologies can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security threat. AI-driven cybersecurity solutions can provide real-time threat intelligence and automate responses to mitigate risks quickly.
  1. Extended Detection and Response (XDR): XDR integrates multiple security products into a cohesive security operation system. It provides a holistic view of threats across the entire IT environment, including endpoints, networks, and servers. XDR improves threat detection and response capabilities by correlating data from various sources and providing actionable insights.
  1. Cloud Security: As more organizations migrate to the cloud, securing cloud environments has become a top priority. Cloud security trends include the use of cloud-native security tools, encryption of data at rest and in transit, and robust identity and access management (IAM) solutions to protect cloud resources.
  1. Supply Chain Security: Cyberattacks targeting supply chains have increased, highlighting the need for robust supply chain security measures. Organizations are now focusing on assessing and managing risks associated with third-party vendors and ensuring that their security practices are up to par.
  1. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs): PETs are designed to protect individual privacy by minimizing the amount of personal data processed. Techniques such as differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, and federated learning are gaining traction to ensure data privacy while still allowing valuable data analysis.

To take advantage of these trends, organisations should prioritise innovation abiding by the following best practices:

Best Practices in Cybersecurity

  1. Implement Strong Access Controls: Utilization of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC) limits access to sensitive information and systems. Ensure that access permissions are regularly reviewed and updated.
  1. Regularly Update and Patch Systems: Keeping software and systems up to date is crucial for protecting against known vulnerabilities. Implement automated patch management processes to ensure timely updates.
  1. Conduct Regular Security Audits and Assessments: Perform regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to identify and remediate potential security weaknesses.
  1. Educate and Train Employees: Human error is a significant factor in many security breaches. Regular cybersecurity training and awareness programs can help employees recognize and respond to potential threats effectively.
  1. Develop an Incident Response Plan: Prepare for potential security incidents by developing and regularly updating an incident response plan. Conduct drills to ensure that the response team is ready to act swiftly in the event of a breach.
  1. Encrypt Sensitive Data: Use encryption to protect sensitive data both at rest and in transit. This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it remains unreadable to unauthorized parties.

In addition to the recommendations above, tech-enabled organisations should consider the following requirements when developing software for enhanced cybersecurity.

Software Development Requirements for Enhanced Cybersecurity

  1. Secure Coding Practices: Adhere to secure coding standards and guidelines such as OWASP’s Top Ten. Conduct code reviews and static code analysis to identify and fix security vulnerabilities during the development process.
  1. Integrate Security into the DevOps Process (DevSecOps): Incorporate security practices into the DevOps workflow to ensure that security is considered at every stage of the software development lifecycle. Use automated security testing tools to identify and remediate vulnerabilities early.
  1. Use Secure Development Frameworks and Libraries: Leverage well-established and secure development frameworks and libraries. Ensure that these components are regularly updated to address any newly discovered vulnerabilities.
  1. Implement Continuous Monitoring and Logging: Enable continuous monitoring and logging of applications and infrastructure to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. Use security information and event management (SIEM) systems to aggregate and analyze log data.
  1. Conduct Threat Modeling: Perform threat modeling to identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities in the design phase. This proactive approach helps in building security measures into the architecture from the outset.
  1. Automate Security Testing: Use automated security testing tools such as static analysis, dynamic analysis, and interactive application security testing (IAST) to identify vulnerabilities throughout the development lifecycle. Automated tests should be integrated into the CI/CD pipeline to ensure continuous security validation.

Conclusion

Staying ahead in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity requires organizations to be proactive and adopt the latest trends and best practices. By implementing robust security measures and fostering a culture of security awareness, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of cyber threats.

Software Development Companies like Nerdbug integrate security into product development lifecycles, aligning with global best practices. Embracing technologies like AI and cloud security, alongside following best practices such as zero trust and continuous monitoring, will help organizations safeguard their digital assets and maintain trust with their customers and stakeholders.

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AI Legal Tech Firm Ivo Gets $55m for Contract Intelligence

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AI legal tech Ivo

By Dipo Olowookere

The sum of $55 million has been injected into an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered contract intelligence platform, Ivo, to support product development and scaling as the company deepens its reach across the hundreds of organizations that already rely on its product, including Uber, Shopify, Atlassian, Reddit, and Canva.

The Series B funding round comes after a year of substantial growth in product performance, customer adoption, and market traction to accelerate its mission of making contract intelligence available to every business.

Since its last funding round, Ivo has grown annual recurring revenue by 500 per cent, increased total customers by 134 per cent, and expanded adoption within the Fortune 500 by 250 per cent.

Business Post gathered that the latest funding support came from Blackbird, Costanoa Ventures, Uncork Capital, Fika Ventures, GD1 and Icehouse Ventures.

Ivo is purpose-built for in-house teams that need both reviews with surgical accuracy as well as visibility into their complete contract library.

The company’s AI-powered contract review solution, Ivo Review, allows users to complete reviews in a fraction of the time; customers report saving up to 75 per cent of the time that manual review would demand.

The product standardizes a company’s positions and precedents using playbooks built and implemented by lawyers. This means that every contract is reviewed accurately, consistently, and efficiently, critical for large and globally distributed teams.

“Our goal has always been to make interacting with contracts fast, accurate, and enjoyable. Every key relationship in a business is defined by an agreement, yet most organizations struggle to extract the insights inside them.

“Our focus is to give in-house teams a trustworthy solution that helps them work faster and gives them visibility into their contracts that was previously impossible,” the chief executive and co-founder of Ivo, Min-Kyu Jung, stated.

Also commenting, a Principal at Blackbird, Mr James Palmer, said, “In-house legal teams demand products that are deeply accurate and aligned to how they work. The most sophisticated teams are incredibly selective about the tools they trust.

“Ivo’s traction with some of the world’s best companies shows it consistently exceeds that bar. With exceptional product execution and an uncompromising quality bar, we believe Ivo is defining and leading the category.”

The Senior Manager for Contract Operations at Uber, Ms Kate Gardner, said, “Uber selected Ivo because it was intuitive to use, demonstrated a high level of accuracy, could work in multiple languages, and met its confidentiality requirements. Furthermore, the Ivo team was highly responsive to Uber’s needs.”

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Nigeria Leads in AI for Learning, Entrepreneurship—Google

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AI for Learning Nigeria

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new report released by global tech giant, Google, in collaboration with Ipsos, has revealed that Nigeria is writing the playbook on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it leads in AI for learning and entrepreneurship.

In the study titled Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people, it was shown that Nigerians are using AI tools for everything from education to entrepreneurship at a remarkable rate, showing immense optimism for the technology’s future.

It was disclosed that about 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, a huge 18-point jump from 2024, placing the West African country well ahead of the global average of 62 per cent.

It was also found out that while the top use for AI globally has shifted to learning, Nigerians are taking it a step further, using AI as a powerful tool for personal and professional development.

A staggering 93 per cent of Nigerians use AI to learn or understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, with 91 per cent using the tool to assist them with their work.

In addition, the research observed that 80 per cent of Nigerians are using AI to explore a new business or career change—nearly double the global average of 42 per cent.

Nigerians have overwhelmingly positive feelings about AI’s role in the classroom and beyond, seeing it as a game-changer for education, with 91 per cent feeling AI is having a positive impact on how we learn and access information versus 65 per cent globally.

The report showed that 95 per cent believe university students and educators are likely to benefit from AI, as 80 per cent of Nigerians are more excited about the possibilities of AI, versus just 20 per cent who are more concerned. Globally, the split is much closer at 53 per cent excited and 46 per cent concerned).

Commenting on the findings, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said, “It’s inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock new opportunities for learning, growth, and economic empowerment.

“This report doesn’t just show high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation that is actively shaping its future with technology, using AI as a tool to accelerate progress and achieve its ambitions. We’re committed to ensuring that AI remains a helpful and accessible tool for everyone.”

Business Post gathered that the research was conducted by Ipsos between September 22 and October 10, 2025, on behalf of Google.

For this survey, a sample of roughly 1,000 adults aged 18+ who are residents of Nigeria and were interviewed online, representing the country’s online population.

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NCC Grants Three Satellite Licences to Boost Broadband Services

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NCC

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed three additional global internet service providers, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, BeetleSat-1, and and Germany-based Satelio IoT Services, as part of efforts to strengthen internet connectivity via satellite and to boost competition among existing internet service providers in the country.

Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, is Amazon’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, designed to provide fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, while BeetleSat (formerly NSLComm) is an international company with strong ties to both Israel and Spain, and its corporate structure involves multiple countries, building a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of 250 satellites to provide high-throughput, low-latency, satellite internet, cellular backhaul, and mobility services globally, and Satelio IoT was approved for its planned 491-satellite IoT system, though only one satellite is currently in orbit.

NCC granted the global internet operators seven-year licences to each to operate in Nigeria from February 28, 2026, to February 28, 2033.

These operators were granted Ka-Band for their frequency band operations, and the licence is renewable after the seven years expiration, according to the regulator.

The NCC’s landing permit authorises Project Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 satellites.

According to the NCC, the approval aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s willingness to open its satellite communications market to next-generation broadband providers.

The permit positions Project Kuiper to provide satellite internet services over Nigerian territory and sets the stage for intensified competition with Starlink, currently the most visible Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet provider in the country.

The permit also gives Amazon LEO and BeetleSat-1, the legal certainty to invest in ground infrastructure, local partnerships, and enterprise contracts, while giving Nigeria a wider market opportunity to play in space internet service delivery, where Starlink currently operates.

Amazon’s Kuiper will offer three categories of satellite services in Nigeria: Fixed Satellite Service (FSS), Mobile Satellite Service (MSS), and Earth Stations at Sea (ESAS).

FSS enables broadband connectivity between satellites and fixed ground stations, such as homes, enterprises, telecom base stations, and government facilities. This is the core service behind satellite home internet and enterprise backhaul; MSS, by contrast, is designed for mobility and resilience; and ESIM extends high-speed satellite broadband to moving platforms, including aircraft, ships, trains, and vehicles.

These systems rely on sophisticated antennas that can track satellites in real time while in motion, making them critical for aviation and maritime connectivity as well as logistics and transport sectors.

BeetleSat was founded in Israel, where its groundbreaking antenna technology was developed and supported by the Israel Space Agency.

In 2021, it formed a strategic alliance with the Spanish technology group Arquimea, which is now BeetleSat’s largest shareholder and main industrial partner.

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