The satellites, including a new space technology test satellite and a test satellite for probing atmospheric density, were launched by a Lijian-1 carrier rocket at 12:12 p.m. Beijing Time and entered the orbit successfully.
The Lijian-1 solid-propellant rocket was independently developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The mission marked the first flight of Lijian-1.
The call was made on Friday 30th April 2021 at the NEXT BYTE Cyber Awareness 2021 event held at Ubumwe Grande Hotel bringing together ICT users from different local institutions to enlighten them on Cyber-attacks.
Speaking during the event, Yves Mutsinzi, the Managing Director of NEXT BYTE said that many people are unknowingly victims of cyber-attacks.
Cyber-attacks are reported to have increased in Rwanda during Coronavirus pandemic like the rest of the World, particularly in financial operation systems, individual’s accounts of social media and emails as well as WhatsApp.
Earlier this year, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) released a short video advising WhatsApp users to secure their accounts and warning them against revealing their passwords to anyone else.
“RIB got some challenges in investigating cyber-crimes. For instance, one steals swindles money from mobile money but we finally realize that the Sim card used is not registered to him/her. Then it becomes more difficult to identify the criminal;” said Kalisa Juma, the Director of Digital forensic Unit at RIB.
The event attended by Alfred Ntaganda, Information Security analyst at Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), Jean Bonfils Tuyishimire, Director of Digital Information at Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board and co-founder of Africa Cybersecurity Consortium(ACC), as well as Maurice Kajangwe, Senior Cyber Security Engineer in Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
They shared experience in dealing with cyber threats to extend ICT users’ awareness.
“It’s difficult to convince someone with no idea about computer programming. […] You can detect at least 5,000 threats per month on a small website,” said Tuyishimire.
He advised ICT users to purchase systems that allow them to detect malwares.
Kajangwe explained that cyber threats increased during Coronavirus pandemic as many people shifted to online businesses and urged ICT users to should invest in Cyber security to ensure full protection.
ICT users have been advised to stand firm to prevent hackers through investment in cyber security and buy systems enabling them protect their devices against malicious attacks.
In the event two winners of the CTF(Capture The Flag) competition that took place a day before on 29th were awarded with training and exam vouchers of one of the most common certificates in Information security CEH, Certified Ethical Hacker form EC-COUNCIL were Next Byte is an Accredited Training Center
NEXT BYTE Training Center is a Rwanda-based company that provides professional training solutions to cyber security individuals, small, medium and large enterprises, performing VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) for institutions, developing business continuity, audit and certify institutions with the ISO27001 among others.
Designed to make booking rides easier in low connectivity and slower than average internet speeds, Uber Lite, will be rolled out in South Africa today.
The new application retains the core functionality of the current app, and includes critical safety features – but it works faster in low connectivity areas, and for people with limited data plans. It will be ten times smaller than the current app at just 5MB – roughly the size of three selfies.
According to Alon Lits, General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, the introduction of lighter Uber App responds to the South African market and other key markets around the world.
“Every day, hundreds of thousands of South Africans rely on Uber for mobility and work, and we understand that a one-size-fits-all app doesn’t work for the diversity of network conditions, devices, and rider needs across the country,” said Alon Lits, GM for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.
“After extensive research with our riders, it was obvious we couldn’t just make a smaller copy of Uber. We needed to reimagine the experience for South Africa and key markets around the world. The result is Uber Lite. A completely redesigned app that is light, simple, and works on any Android device and on any network.” He added
Uber Lite was first rolled out in over 600 cities in India in 2018.
The launch of the Observatory operating in the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology (CST) will serve to provide data related to meteorology, climate change, and solar intensity among other operations.
Rwanda Climate Observatory is under Rwanda-MIT Climate Observatory Project implemented by Rwanda’s Ministry of Education in partnership with Massachusetts Institute (MIT) in order to develop a world-class research program in Rwanda and build the capacity of climate change, air pollution and meteorology.
Efforts to set up the observatory were inspired by President Paul Kagame’s visits to USA in 2008 and 2009 looking for ways to enhance science and technology and Rwanda chose MIT as the implementation partner.
The project saw Rwandan graduates from the University of Rwanda go to be trained at MIT as it was requested by President Kagame.
Rwanda-MIT Climate Observatory Project’s first phase started operating in 2011 while technical instruments were first placed at sites in 2013. The project is worth $2 million.
The observatory has four technicians who operate at Mugogo Mount in Nyabihu District where more instruments measuring the climate locate.
Dr. Jimmy Gasore, a lecturer at the College of Science and Technology, who is also the Station Chief Scientist at Rwanda Climate Observatory, said Medusa started atmospheric data measurements worldwide since 1979 being used by the researchers’ team founded following the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
“This instrument [Medusa] has played a paramount role in measuring the greenhouse gases. We are now happy as it will help us get data on air pollutants and see if we are reducing the production and consumption of greenhouse gases [known as hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)] and plan accordingly,” Dr. Jimmy Gasore.
“It is the first time for Medusa to be in Africa and they are only twelve elsewhere in the world; in atmospheric research centers and in universities,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Eugene Mutimura, who officiated the launch of the Observatory, said the observatory was set to measure climate change and atmospheric causes behind it.
“It is a very good step because it helps us know what to do to implement strategies taken by Rwandan Government to reduce greenhouse gases that pollute the air,” Dr. Eugene Mutimura said.
Even before the dust could settle, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, admitted before congress that his own personal data had been harvested by a third party in one of the world’s most unethical data abuse investigations.
These new revelations have kept many Facebook users on the edge of their seats. But allow me to point this story to another direction, and even as we recover from reeling, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, do you personally know your Facebook friend?
A friend in need is a friend indeed. This English saying has been recorded hundreds of million times in books, audio, video and one on one communication. It describes the original intention of friendships way before Internet technology was developed. Today with the proliferation of social sites and applications, the world has been shrunk to a global village, making it easy to find old contacts as well as create new connections in an instant.
Many people may not know this, but social media platforms including Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram etc. are infested with crawling scammers, pedophiles, fraudsters and all sorts of criminals, a vice that developers may not have foreseen.
Once you accept a friend request from such, they automatically gain access to your photos, profile information or any other posts that you share publically within your network circles. In essence they become part of your daily life, reviewing your posts, movements and sometimes keep a record of this information. These days, criminal elements can dig further than before, into our private lives, our homes and work offices. And there is probably nothing we can do about it.
Fake Profile
Through access to different sites, they steal images across the web, and create attractive and interesting new fake profiles. They will update photos and status and will keep these accounts running as normal, making it hard to detect foul play. Some of these criminals will localize and blend their profile to make the victims believe that the ‘user’ knows them. The easiest bait that these people use to attract victims is through love; lonely hearts, which we call, cat fishing.
Catfishing
Catfishing is the act of luring someone into a relationship by adopting a fictional online identity. While writing this report, I got lucky to interact with a few people who admitted to having fell victim of Cat fishers online once in their lifetime.
Claire* (not her real name), sent money and private photos to a man he met online. Having been promised marriage and a good life together, all about this man seemed to true, not until she saw her trending photos and chat screenshots on a Facebook Group called ‘Kilimani Mums and Dads Uncensored’. “Before I could confront him on this, he asked me to send money so that he pulls down the post,” Claire laments. “There is nothing I could do, as my photos were downloaded and shared hundreds of time”, she adds.
Cat fishers often assume some else’s identity and prowl the internet for easy targets. They will be part of your friend list and will mostly react to your posts, images and comment. Over time, the Facebook user will lower down their guard and see this person as a genuine, caring and sympathetic ‘friend’.
They will direct conversations to your inbox and occasionally send you photos of ‘themselves’. The conversations will last for quite sometime and may at times turn sexual. This is the bait that they will use to keep you glued to them.
After securing your trust, cat fishers will ask for favours including money for transport, to visit you so that you can have a good time together.
So if someone you haven’t met before is asking for money for whatever purpose, then know you are most probably being scammed. They will also come with all manner of excuses to avoid speaking on phone as they are obviously not who they claim to be.
How do you stay safe?
If everything is sounding fishy with your online friend, most probably you are being cat fished. Watch out if everything is getting too serious within a short period.
Cat fishers won’t snap chat, Skype or video chat. Ask for their true identity and if they fail to provide it, let them go, report their account and block instantly.
Do not send money, gifts or anything to people you are unfamiliar with, remember, you may be a target.
Go through your friend list and drop people you do not have any connections with, you will thank me later.
Remember the Internet is a great place to meet new people but don’t let naivety cloud your judgment.
Completion of the programme takes two years of part-time study and will provide graduates with a world-class MBA from a globally recognized university.
As part of the Coventry University and eLearnAfrica initiative, 50 civil servants will initially be offered the opportunity to study the Coventry University online MBA programme.
The CEO of eLearnAfrica, Brook Negussie, explained the benefits of the bursary and MBA. “We are very excited to offer access to this very prestigious programme. As it is fully online and has a more flexible part-time course load, students can continue with their responsibilities while earning a degree from a globally-recognized university. This is an international programme, so students will interact with their peers from around the world.”
Former Minister of Education of Rwanda, Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, who recently joined the eLearnAfrica Academic Advisory Board, is coordinating the initiative in Rwanda.
“This programme has been launched in Rwanda and promises to support the constant improvement of our civil servants, who work every day to serve the people of Rwanda. We are confident that Rwanda will serve as a model for similar programmes throughout East Africa and the rest of the continent.”
The MBA provides students with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills required to progress to more senior leadership roles. Students will gain an internationally recognized business qualification from a highly reputable, leading UK university.
Students will study through the social learning platform FutureLearn, giving them a chance to share knowledge and experience with other students and industry experts from across the globe. The platform is easily accessible on mobiles, tablets and desktops, making it easier to fit the course and learning around other commitments. Students will still have access to world-class teaching, with all learning and assessment taking place online. They will also receive the same Coventry University degree as those who study on-campus.
Bursary applicants must send an up-to-date CV to students@elearnafrica.com for consideration for the bursary award and the Coventry University online application process.
Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s Degree and should have at least two years of experience in a professional position.
The move comes after the explosive reports last week that a quiz app harvested 50 million Facebook profiles for data which were then sent over to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that was caught claiming it handled the digital aspects of President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign.
Facebook is scrambling to regain the trust of users amid a backlash against the social network following last week’s revelations.
It said it redesigned the settings menu on mobile devices to make things easier to find. All the different sections under the settings tab will now be a in a single place.
The technology giant has also added a privacy shortcuts menu. Users can go to this menu to add extra security when logging in, review and delete what you’ve shared from search history to friend requests, and manage the information on your profile and who sees your posts.
Facebook is also introducing a tool called “Access Your Information” to let you see the comments you’ve left or posts you’ve shared and delete them. The company also said it will make it easier for users to download their data, such as photos and contacts you’ve added to your account, and even move it to another service.
Finally, Facebook said that it will be proposing new terms of service and will be updating its data policy to “better spell out what data we collect and how we use it.” The technology firm said that most of the updates “have been in the works for some time,” but the recent events “underscore their importance.”
“The last week showed how much more work we need to do to enforce our policies, and to help people understand how Facebook works and the choices they have over their data,” Facebook said in a blog post Wednesday.
Facebook is one of the many companies that are also facing a tougher regulatory environment, particularly in Europe. In May, a piece of legislation known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is set to come into force. Many of the new tools Facebook has outlined will help it adhere to the new rules.
Janvier Régis Habimana, Chairman & CEO of Convergencium, expressed his delight upon the partnership.
“We are delighted to have inked this partnership with Agile FT as they will help us in addressing timely to a growing need within our domestic market but also in other countries we operate in within the Sub-Saharan Africa. When we first heard of the new regulator’s policy, we started searching for a Partner that would fit our own ways of working and deliver the best product and services to our existing and future customers within the Insurance industry. We’re happy that we’re partnering with Agile FT. ”
Speaking, Kalpesh Desai, President & CEO, Agile Financial Technologies expressed his confidence upon the move.
“Leveraging local resources help us eliminate two of the big risk factors in software implementations – the ability to relate to the work culture of the region and the language. We have a lot of confidence on the Rwandan market. Though insurance penetration stands at around 2% today, well below the regional penetration rates of 3.5%, the Central Bank has set a target for 10% penetration by 2020.”
“With no new licenses being issued, and solvency ratios being maintained at 100%, the sector is under a lot of stress today on account of low premiums and claim ratios as high as 67%. Insurers who desire to be relevant in the marketplace, will be under a lot of pressure to strengthen or replace their existing software systems to strengthen their ability to launch innovative products rapidly, leverage new delivery channels and embrace digital technology, and benefit from systems like Agilis that facilitate operational efficiency, eliminate risk and possibilities of fraud across the value chain – distribution, underwriting, reinsurance, claims and accounting. We believe we are entering the market at the right time with the right partners.”
Agile FT software suite consists of core platforms for digital insurance (General Insurance, Life & Annuities and Health) and investment technology (wealth and fund management). With a customer footprint currently in around 28 countries and expanding, Agile FT’s strategy is to ensure that its customers derive the benefit of regional and local support.
The 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) internet provider which is licensed as a wholesaler to expand the internet countrywide announced the coverage during an event to celebrate 2017 achievements and reward customers in Kigali, last Friday
The coverage was at 17% in 2015 and has quickly expanded to 95% in 2017.
This solution incorporates WISeKey’s identity management capabilities with Microsoft Azure Blockchain capabilities to enable secure transactions, digital authentication and legally binding signatures – all aligned to the Rwandan Government’s Blockchain project.
The objective is to bring the Rwandan government and its private sector closer to realising the benefits of digital transformation with a more open, transparent and publicly verifiable system that will fundamentally change the way value-exchange, assets, enforcement of contracts, and sharing of data across industries will be experienced.
The Rwandan Blockchain project which was established earlier this year in partnership with WISeKey’s Blockchain Centre of Excellence aims to position the country as a key player in digital transformation by providing citizens and businesses access to policy, technical and business expertise which ultimately aims to facilitate growth in the country.
In the first phase, the Rwanda Land Registry will be digitised to ensure control of authenticity. Using WISeKey’s WiseID suite of mobile applications – a secure semiconductor solution – the system will digitally store necessary data to enable authenticity of identification and the validation of assets. Applying Azure’s capabilities will ensure that all personal data is protected and secured.
This solution will benefit the Government of Rwanda and any future Microsoft Azure and WISeKey client leveraging a broad portfolio of familiar and security-enhanced software, partner solutions, devices and services.
Microsoft has long been committed to enabling both the public and private sectors of the African continent to digitally transform. Becoming a technology partner to WISeKey’s solution seems to be a natural fit. Microsoft believes this collaboration will enable them to be a part of a solution that will facilitate private and public collaboration in Rwanda.
“We are delighted to form this new partnership with Microsoft by combining our technology to provide trusted blockchain solutions. This will cover technology gaps in the private and public blockchain infrastructure for enterprise and governmental projects, facilitate secure transactions and also verify the identity of the parties participating in these transactions, said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey.
“Microsoft is proud to be WISeKey’s technology partner of choice. We trust this solution will bring the Rwandan government and its private sector closer to realising the benefits of digital transformation with a more open, transparent, and publicly verifiable system that will fundamentally change the way value-exchange, assets, enforcement of contracts, and sharing of data across industries will be experienced,” said Dr. Ashraf Abdelwahab, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft 4Afrika.