COVID-19: WHO, WhatsApp partner on free health alert service - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with WhatsApp has launched a health alert, reports ITREALMS.

The new service, which is free to use, has been designed to answer questions from the public about Coronavirus, and to give prompt, reliable and official information 24 hours a day, worldwide. This will also serve government decision-makers by providing the latest numbers and situation reports.

How the WHO Health Alert on WhatsApp works:

Start by clicking WHO Health Alert, then simply text the word ‘Hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started. The service responds to a series of prompts and will be updated daily with the latest information.

You can also visit the WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub at whatsapp.com/coronavirus, and click on the WHO link on the homepage to open up a chat with the WHO Health Alert if you have WhatsApp installed.

The WHO Health Alert will provide official information on topics such as how to protect yourself from infection, travel advice, and debunking Coronavirus myths. The service is initially launching in English but will be available in all six United Nations languages within the coming weeks (English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.)

Since February, WhatsApp has reached out to dozens of governments to assist their efforts to provide accurate information to the general public. The WHO Health Alert is the latest official NGO or government helpline to become available on WhatsApp, joining the Singapore Government, The Israel Ministry of Health, the South Africa Department of Health, and KOMINFO Indonesia. We are actively working to launch local services with other countries as well.

Earlier this week WhatsApp, in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNDP, launched the WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub, to provide simple, actionable guidance for health workers, educators, community leaders, nonprofits, local governments and local businesses that rely on WhatsApp to communicate. The site also offers general tips and resources for users around the world to reduce the spread of rumors and connect with accurate health information.

WhatsApp also announced a $1M grant to the International Fact Checking Network to support fact-checking for the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, to report on rumors that may be circulating on various messaging services including WhatsApp or SMS.

Announcing the service, Facebook Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg said in a post: “We've worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) on a way to get authoritative information about coronavirus sent directly to your WhatsApp. With WHO Health Alerts, you can receive their daily situation report, which has the latest numbers of cases by country around the world, as well as tips on how to protect yourself, and answers to frequently asked questions that you can easily send to friends and family. So many people wanted this service that even before we could announce it, people shared the link around WhatsApp and almost half a million people had already signed up.”

To sign up, just tap this link if you have WhatsApp installed:

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Alert: NITDA harps on implication of GDPR

ITREALMS:

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has alerted Nigerians on implications of the soon to be implemented European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), reports ITRealms.

According to the Director General/CEO, NITDA, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, they would like to bring to the attention of Nigerian businesses, especially those that collect, store and process personal data of European Union (EU) citizens for the provision of goods and services, and the general public, the implications of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

He noted that the regulation adopted on 27 April 2016 and which becomes enforceable from 25 May 2018 “is replacing the data protection directive of 1995. It applies whether the data controller - an organization that collects data from EU residents or processor - an organization that processes data on behalf of data controller such as data centres or the data subject – the person whose personal data has been collected is based within or outside any EU member state, if they collect or process personal data of EU citizens and residents.

“The Agency has realized that this regulation might have huge impact on Nigerian businesses and/or individuals that use Information Technologies to collect, store, process and transact on EU citizens personal data in EU territory or elsewhere. It is in the utmost interest of the Agency to protect Nigerian businesses from unnecessary exposure to the risks of this regulation and/or any regulations that might have negative impact on their businesses as well as the rights of Nigerians that have dual citizenship of any EU member state.

“NITDA therefore calls on Nigerian organisations that are controllers and processors of personal data of EU nationals to note that companies that meet the following criteria must comply:

•             have offices in an EU member state;

•             have no offices in any EU member state but processes personal data of EU nationals and residents;

•             have more than 250 employees; and

•             have fewer than 250 employees but its data processing impacts the rights and freedoms of data subjects or occasionally includes certain types of sensitive personal data.

“The regulation requires that data controllers and processors must seek consent from data subjects in an intelligible and easily accessible form, clearly specifying the purpose for the collection. It also stipulates that consent must be clear and distinguishable from other matters and presented in a clear and plain language.

“A breach of the regulation can attract a fine of up to 4% of a company’s annual global turnover or an equivalent of twenty million euros (€20 million). Furthermore, companies can be fined up to 2 per cent for not having their records in order, not notifying the supervising authority and data subject about a breach or not conducting impact assessment.

“The regulation also gives data subjects the right to obtain from the data controller confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning them is being processed, where and for what purpose. They also have the right to transmit data they had previously provided to another controller. Furthermore, they are entitled to have the data controller erase their personal data, cease further dissemination of the data, and potentially have third parties halt processing of the data,” he said.

Therefore, he also said, NITDA is calling on Nigerian businesses, especially those carrying out online transactions and meet the GDPR compliance criteria to put in place appropriate measures to observe the provisions of this regulation to avoid being sanctioned for a liable breach.

“Organisations are also required to note the provisions of the NITDA Guidelines on Data Protection, issued in 2013 and currently being revised. In an effort to make the agency’s rule making process transparent and industry-focused, the revised guideline will soon be presented for stakeholder consultation as stipulated in the Rulemaking Process Regulation of NITDA,” he said.

Uboshe Uboshe & Doris Minimah/GEE

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Alert: Six Whatsapp scams to look out for

Commentary@ITRealms:

Created in 2009 as an alternative to text messaging, WhatsApp is today one of the world’s most popular instant messaging service with more than one billion users in 180 countries. According to a May 2016 report from research firm SimilarWeb, WhatsApp is the top chat app in 109 countries which represents 58% of the 187 countries covered in the survey. Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 to make a bigger play in the rapidly-growing messaging market, along with its own Messenger platform. At the time the deal was announced, WhatsApp had 450 million users worldwide.

Considering the popularity and widespread usage of WhatsApp even among the older generations in countries such as Nigeria, it is no surprise that the attention of hackers and other unscrupulous individuals have shifted to the medium in a bid to exploit loop-holes that could be used to swindle unsuspecting users of their money or other sensitive information.

According to the Research and Development Unit of Yudala, here are six WhatsApp scams you should look out for:

1.WhatsApp Gold: The offer of an upgrade to WhatsApp Gold is a fraud that starts with a message via social networks in which WhatsApp users are invited to click on a link to update their app to the inexistent Oro version (Gold version) which offers the users a suite of new and exclusive features.  The link takes the user to a web page where, if he wants to use these improvements, he has to give his phone number. Interestingly, users who go on to give their number will be subscribed to a premium SMS service: each text message that you receive will cost you 1.45 euros, until a maximum of 36.25 euro per month.  

Global attention was initially drawn to the existence of this scam by the Spanish National Police and Civil Guard when it reported the existence of an expensive scam costing users 36 euros per month. Since then, the scam has also been reported in a number of countries.

It is important to point out that there is only one version of WhatsApp, so caution is the watch-word should you get a similar invitation to upgrade to WhatsApp Gold.

2.WhatsApp Plus: According to the Research and Development Unit of Yudala, this is another scam perpetrated by faceless individuals seeking to cash in on the ubiquitous usage of WhatsApp. WhatsApp Plus claims to let users send pictures, videos and music files of an unlimited size. This is in addition to allowing subscribers use WhatsApp with more than one number, a feature that is highly sought after by many users of the app. However, WhatsApp Plus is not associated with WhatsApp and the Facebook-owned service bans users who have also downloaded the fake app onto their device. A bold disclaimer was recently issued by WhatsApp to alert users to the existence of the fake app.

“WhatsApp Plus is an application that was not developed by WhatsApp, nor is it authorized by WhatsApp. WhatsApp Plus contains source code which WhatsApp cannot guarantee as safe and that your private information is potentially being passed to 3rd parties without your knowledge or authorization,” the statement said.

And to demonstrate its stance, WhatsApp blocks users that have downloaded the unsolicited version of the app, with users having to wait an additional 24 hours to get the ban lifted after deleting the fake app.

3. WhatsApp browser fraud: With the launch of WhatsApp’s browser platform, hackers created a number of similar-looking fraudulent websites to gain access to the sensitive data and bank details of unsuspecting users. Some of the tactics employed by these fraudulent websites include requesting users to download a seemingly harmless application on to their computers, which in actuality, is a malicious software that allows the cybercriminals access to confidential information, such as banking information. Another very popular strategy is to request the phone number of the unknowing users and then, subscribing them to downloading premium services which charge special rates.

To avoid falling a victim, it is pertinent to bear in mind that there is only one browser version of WhatsApp which is absolutely free. Most importantly, you do not have to download anything to your computer to use it.

4.WhatsApp Video calling invite: In late 2016, WhatsApp rolled out video-calling feature for Android, iOS and Windows users. The feature which was long anticipated was made available for downloads via update available to all users. However, the rollout of this popular feature has created new opportunities for scammers who circulate malicious links inviting people to download video-calling. Shortly after the video-calling feature was introduced on November 15 2016, WhatsApp users began receiving an invitation link for it. Once the user clicks on the given link, he is directed to a webpage to enable the new feature. The spam message reads, "You're invited to try WhatsApp Video Calling feature. Only people with the invitation can enable this feature". And once a user clicks on the link, it redirects to a website which has been designed to look believable.

Once a gullible user clicks on the 'enable' tab, he/she is immediately directed to a new page which requires user verification. You would then be asked to share and invite four other friends to enable this feature through the same link. Though the entire page and the process looks credible, mere clicking on this link can expose you to spammers, making you extremely vulnerable to hacking.

Please note that the correct way to enable video calling feature is to update your WhatsApp app through your Google Playstore or Apple Store. As soon as it is updated, the feature will be automatically enabled.

5.Fake WhatsApp Voicemail: This is another scam which arose with the introduction of voice calls on WhatsApp. However, this scam, often perpetrated via email, does not seek to take advantage of the voice-calling feature but aims to trap unsuspecting users with the introduction of a related service. The fake WhatsApp Voicemail fraud starts when a user receives an email, notifying him of an unread voice message in the non-existent WhatsApp voicemail. When the user clicks on the large “Autoplay” button that supposedly allows you hear the message, there is no message. Instead, a malicious software introduced by a hacker is downloaded on the device. This is usually the gate-way for the scammers to compromise or gain access to the user’s bank details, credit card information and other personal data. This approach was recently used by a Canadian pharmacy spam website in trying to sell its fake pharmaceutical products. The perpetrators were of the view that disguising their spam message as something completely unrelated to pharmaceutical products would help it bypass spam filters as well as trick recipients into clicking the link and visiting the site.

The best way to remain protected from this particular scam is to remember that there is presently no WhatsApp voicemail.

6.WhatsApp Spy: Despite the existence of WhatsSpy Public, an application invented by Dutch developer Maikel Zweerink that allows you to spy on your WhatsApp contacts by tracking the user’s online status, last time of connection and any changes made to profile photos; there is another scam app that claims to go one step ahead by offering a service which allows anyone to read the conversations of others. Known as WhatsSpy, this is a fraud through which ignorant users are tricked into downloading an app through which malicious software are introduced into the user’s device. Understandably, a number of individuals will go to great lengths to be able to read the conversations of others, especially as a means of keeping tabs on cheating spouses or for other similar purposes. This has contributed in no small measure to many falling victim to the WhatsSpy scam.

To reiterate the fact, WhatsApp messages are encrypted and as such, you cannot remotely read other people’s conversations. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. Your messages are secured with a lock and, only the recipient and you, have the special key needed to unlock and read your message. For added protection, every message you send has a unique lock and key. All of this happens automatically: no need to turn on settings or set up special secret chats to secure your messages.

The existence of end-to-end encryption has remained one of the major factors that has contributed to the growing popularity of the Facebook-owned service.

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APC primaries turn bloody in Oshodi-Lagos, Police on alert

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Police has confirmed, at least, the death of the chairman, Lagos State Okada riders, Rasak Bello, at the All Progressive Congress (APC) councillorship primary in Ladipo-Sogunle ward in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos, reports ITRealms.

The Lagos State PoliceCommand, spokesperson, Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed this, although he refused to put figure to scores of death allegedly killed at the exercise from other parts of the state.

But ITRealms gathered that Rasak Bello was shot dead when opposing happy-trigger gang arrived at the ward and venue of the councillorship primary and opened fire.

Also, ITRealms gathered there were other scores of death arising from the attack, which caused the Police to be on alert patrol in Oshodi throughout Monday for fear of reprisal.

Popularly known as Hamburger, Rasak Bello died on the way to a hospital in the Oshodi vicinity and leaving its wake, fears among residents.

The attack left many reported injured.

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Alert! NCC cautions operators, subscribers on WannaCry virus

ITRealms:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has alerted the licensed operators and subscribers in the country of the recent outbreak of a Ransomware virus also known as “WannaCry” across the world, reports ITRealms.

This alert, NCC officials told ITRealms was in fulfilment of its statutory mandate to assure the security and integrity of the national telecommunications network in the country.

The Ransomware, ITRealms gathered, is capable of infecting and encrypting all files on a system or any smart device until an amount is paid for a decryption key, or other means of retrieval which may lead to data loss are used to recover the system as an alternative.

This situation, NCC said, demands that proactive measures be taken by all players in the telecommunication eco-system to forestall the hazards of critical data loss, financial losses and ultimately network/business disruption. ITRealms also reports that the NCC in a public service notice, therefore advisd that the following protective measures be taken, amongst others to obtain software patch released by Microsoft in March 2017 to fix the Ransomware Virus; to plan scheduled penetration tests on the networks and systems to ensure protection and availability at all times.

And for subscribers who use their smartphones as substitutes to computers for internet access, NCC said, they should protect themselves and their devices by “Not opening e-mail attachments/links from unknown sources; Not clicking pop-ups and applets on unknown websites; and installing effective antivirus software for their mobile devices.”

Furthermore, the NCC said it has taken proactive measures in fulfilling its statutory mandate including advising Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to initiate regular assessment and audit of their cybersecurity readiness.

“All operators should continue to ensure that their backup/ disaster recovery strategies are in place and up to date,” NCC stated.

In addition, the Commission noted it has further advised all operators to ensure continued deployment of effective firewalls, login passwords and antivirus management regime.

The Commission also stated, its working towards creating a link with the Cybersecurity Alert System on its website so that current information on global cyber threats/incidents could be immediately communicated to stakeholders.

NCC emphasized that the Commission will continue to provide more cybersecurity training for its staff.  

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Woman disrupts bank service over alert

ITRealms:

A woman in her early 70s, Friday, brought bank service to an abrupt halt for not receiving bank alert, ITRealms reports.

The woman simply addressed as Alhaja, lamented inability of her business partner to receive confirmation for payment she (Alhaja) made early in the morning for supply of goods by the intended recipient of the money.

After waiting endlessly for her goods and discovering it was 3pm, and that the bank was the problem, she decided to pay unsolicited visit to bank.

Trouble started when the banking hall of  one of the first generation bank at Bolade, Oshodi, was thrown into pandemonium as the woman, the size of Yokozona  the wrestler, was wailing and climbing the first floor, location of the banking hall, shouting that her money was collected from her and inserted into a “casket” (basket).

According to her, “N30,000 is not a small money, they take my money and put into a casket.” 

That was the translation ITRealms received from other customers who could decode  the deep Yoruba accent of the elderly woman.

This revelation, ITRealms reports, threw customers into uncontrollable laughter even as the bank manager and other high echelons of the bank rallied round to post the money with alacrity because the woman refused to leave the banking hall unless her money was posted instantly.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 

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