Technology
Top 5 Tips for Reliable Smartphone Security
Nowadays, having access to data on the go is as ubiquitous as having access to water or a jacket. Yet despite the convenience of being able to log onto the Internet from your smartphone from nearly any location, there are certain risks regarding smartphone security that should concern everyone using a mobile device in public. Namely, free public Wi-Fi networks make us vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches.
According to TechRepublic, Android ransomware increased 137.8% from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2017. A benchmarking study of the cybersecurity practices of global companies offers insight into cyber threats. The study, called The Cybersecurity Imperative, was released by ESI ThoughtLab and WSJ Pro Cybersecurity and was sponsored by Security Industry Association (SIA), along with other partners. The study cites the following leading cyberthreats in 2018, which include malware, phishing, ransomware, viruses, and attacks from apps.
Wireless network hotspots, which are often provided by coffee shops, hotels, or airports, are significantly less secure than our private connection at home or in the office. Tech-savvy cybercriminals can easily hack into public networks and attempt to steal or even lock and extort confidential information for financial gain. One option to prevent cybertheft is to not use public Wi-Fi, however, it’s often hard to pass up. Therefore, in order to use hotspots safely, it pays to follow these simple tips to ensure you’re not an easy target for cybercriminals.
Use a Reliable Anti-Malware
Since we have already decided that it’s vital to have reliable cybersecurity protection on all our devices in order to detect, quarantine, delete and report any type of suspicious activity, it is important to continue applying this rule when we are on the go. According to cybersecurity leader Kaspersky, there were a more than 42.7 million mobile malware attacks in 2017 and malicious mobile software threats were found in more than 230 countries worldwide, making travelers especially vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Therefore, to ensure our smartphones are secure, having a reliable anti-malware is a no-brainer. The software performs routine scans of your smartphone or mobile device and updates itself with the latest security protection against cyber threats.
Always Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, ensures you can use the Internet safely because it disguises your online identity. Rather than browsing the Internet openly by using a coffee shop, restaurant or hotel’s free Wi-Fi network, use VPN software with encryption technology to safeguard your identity and ensure you are browsing anonymously. This will protect you from those who want to spy on what you’re doing online.
A reliable VPN for smartphone automatically changes your IP address to conceal your actual location. Fundamentally, a VPN makes your smartphone or mobile device as well as the information within it undetectable and therefore inaccessible to anyone who may be on the same Wi-Fi network as you. Not only will hackers not be able to pilfer your data, but they also won’t be able to infect your device with ransomware or other malware.
Be Careful Where You Connect
It is crucial to be sure you’re joining a secure Wi-Fi connection. Often, we connect simply by instinct. For example, if a network is called HotelFreeWiFi, we may innocently assume that it is the hotel’s network, yet it can often be a calculated “man-in-the-middle” attack employed by hackers to fool users into logging in in order to steal their information.
According to the Pew Research Center, 54% of internet users use public Wi-Fi networks, and many perform sensitive activities such as online shopping (21%) or online banking (20%) in public. Therefore, when logging in on the go, ensure your Wi-Fi network is secure and not a rogue network. Double check with the barista or receptionist to find out the actual name of the coffee shop or hotel Wi-Fi network.
Remain Alert On-The-Go
It is also important to be selective about what you’re looking at on your smartphone while in public. Using free Wi-Fi for reading the news or streaming music is one thing but be careful when you’re performing sensitive tasks like reading your email, banking, or online shopping. When performing these activities, you find a secured connection in an Internet browser that has a padlock or the letters HTTPS or SSL in the URL window, rather than HTTP.
Also, for added security, try to perform sensitive operations from your own personal hotspot by using your data plan for things like email, shopping or banking.
Additional Tips
It is also important to back-up your important information and other data at least once a week just in case you lose your smartphone, or your mobile device is stolen. A great solution is to use cloud services and local back-up, like a USB flash drive or external hard drive.
Also, use a strong password, which is at least 7 characters long, has a combination of letters, numbers and symbols, and combines upper and lower cases. Experts say it can also be effective to use a passphrase, such as a line from your favorite song, like “royaltyinsidemydna,” from Kendrick Lamar’s DNA.
Additionally, when possible, choose a two-step verification that requires not just a password to log in, but also a one-time code that is sent to your smartphone in order to confirm it’s actually you using the device. If your smartphone is not set up to do this automatically, download the latest free software updates for the Windows or Mac operating system on your device.
Users should be concerned about smartphone security even if privacy isn’t a top priority for them. A VPN for smartphone or tablet, which unlike your home computer will be using public Wi-Fi access occasionally, either in a coffee shop, airport, or hotel, ensures your data is protected. Public hotspots are not particularly trustworthy, and those that don’t require a password are even more vulnerable to attack. A mobile VPN isn’t just smart, it’s vital.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An additional $200,000 will be invested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) media literacy initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok announced during its third annual Sub-Saharan Africa Safer Internet Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
The platform hosted government officials, regulators, online safety partners and industry leaders for the event, reinforcing its commitment to collaborative approaches to online safety.
The funds will be provided in ad credits to help support local organisations in the region to expand AI media literacy.
This investment builds on the company’s initial $2 million AI Literacy Fund, launched in November 2025, which awarded 20 global non-profits to create content that boosts public understanding of AI.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok initially supported three organisations to advance digital literacy and combat misinformation.
“With the rapid advancement of AI, we are committed to educating our community online, so they feel empowered to have responsible experiences with AI, whether that’s as viewers or creators.
“We are partnering with trusted local organisations that communities already know and rely on, because their expertise and deep local connections are essential to making AI literacy programs truly impactful,” the Global Head of Partnerships, Elections and Market Integrity at TikTok, Mr Valiant Richey, stated.
Earlier, the Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, Ms Tokunbo Ibrahim, said, “As we host the 3rd Annual Safer Internet Summit here in Kenya, our mission is clear: to share learnings, insights, tackle common challenges and collaboratively advance actionable solutions that protect citizens online.
“By bringing together a diverse coalition of policymakers, tech innovators, and creators, we are ensuring that the conversations we have at this Summit are all-inclusive and lead to a more resilient digital landscape.”
The summit featured expert panels and discussions on critical topics, including TikTok’s Trust and Safety efforts, protecting young people online, and policy frameworks for responsible AI governance.
A key highlight of the event was showcasing how TikTok uses AI to transform how people share their creativity and discover new passions, while ensuring the community remains safe through transparent and responsible AI practices.
The platform also shared more about how recent advancements in AI are helping the platform moderate content faster and more consistently at scale, by improving automated moderation and empowering human teams with better moderation tools.
With over 100 million pieces of content uploaded daily to TikTok, these advances, which work alongside human moderation teams, are helping get violative content down faster, reducing the likelihood of the community seeing it.
According to the latest Community Guidelines Enforcement Q3 2025, TikTok removed over 14 million videos across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 96.7 per cent detected and removed proactively using automated technology, underscoring TikTok’s commitment to proactive moderation and swift action.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The winners of the Technovation 4.0 Hackathon, themed The Wicked Hackathon, organised by Interswitch, have been given N10 million in cash prizes for their efforts.
At the one-day finale event, which took place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Interswitch Innovation Lab and Co-Working Space, the money was shared among the top teams whose innovative solutions stood out during the rigorous multiple phases of the competition.
Team Quickteller Fashion emerged as the overall winner, securing the grand prize of N4 million for a solution that impressed judges with its originality, practicality, and strong strategic relevance. Team Kampe claimed second position with N2.5 million, while Team Stable placed third, receiving N1.5 million. Up to N300,000 worth of cash prizes were also awarded to the fourth, fifth and sixth qualifying teams.
For nine months, cross-functional teams from across the organisation collaborated to conceptualise, validate, develop, and refine solutions, moving from raw ideas to minimum viable products (MVPs) with ready-to-market potential and deployment across the business.
The atmosphere at the grand finale reflected that of preparation and anticipation as the top 9 teams presented their innovations through live demonstrations and detailed pitches, fielding questions from a distinguished panel of judges before the top three winners were selected. Each presentation highlighted rigorous validation processes, thoughtful market considerations, and a strong emphasis on measurable impact.
While many of the solutions remain confidential due to their strategic relevance, the diversity and depth of ideas showcased during the hackathon’s final underscored the organisation’s growing culture of intrapreneurship and structured innovation. The projects illustrated how technology-driven thinking can unlock efficiencies, strengthen operational capabilities, and open new pathways for growth across the digital payments and commerce ecosystem.
“Technovation continues to reflect who we are as an organisation, bold, forward-thinking, and deeply committed to building impactful solutions from within. Over the years, we have seen ideas conceived during this programme evolve into meaningful capabilities that strengthen our ecosystem.
“The passion, discipline, and ingenuity demonstrated by our teams this year reinforce our belief in the power of African innovation to solve complex challenges and shape the future of technology on the continent,” the Chief Innovation Officer for Interswitch, Ms Adaobi Okerekeocha, stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The language support for its AI Search features has been expanded by Google, with the inclusion of Yoruba and Hausa in Nigeria.
This is part of a broader effort to make AI more inclusive across the continent, with support now extending to a total of 13 African languages.
Under the AI Overviews and AI Mode, speakers of both Nigerian languages can utilise AI-powered Search experiences in their mother tongue for quick summaries and conversational exploration.
This means existing AI features in Google Search are now accessible to people like the student in Kano asking a question in Hausa, and the trader in Ibadan seeking advice in Yorùbá.
By addressing language barriers, this update ensures that technology reflects the identity and culture of the people it serves. With this expansion, more people can now use AI Mode to ask complex questions in their preferred language, while exploring the web more deeply and naturally through text or voice.
The 13 languages now supported across Africa include Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu.
These languages were chosen based on the vibrant search activity across the continent, ensuring that our AI experiences reach the communities that need them most.
Commenting on the development, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said, “Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation — it requires a nuanced understanding of local information.
“With the advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities of our custom version of Gemini in Search, we’ve made huge strides in language understanding, so our most advanced AI search capabilities are locally relevant and useful in each new language we support.
“This is about ensuring Nigerians can converse with Search in their mother tongues, making information more helpful for everyone.”
To use AI Overviews and AI Mode in the local language, users must open the Google app on an Android or iOS device, or via the Web. They are required to tap on AI Mode within the Search experience. Thereafter, they can type or speak the question in their preferred language, such as Hausa or Yorùbá, and let the AI guide the journey.
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