WhatsApp is the most popular global mobile messenger app based on the number of monthly active users, according to Statista.

Currently, WhatsApp has over 2.78 billion monthly active users in over 180 countries. It is predicted that this number will reach 3.14 billion by 2025.

WhatsApp is a valuable tool for cross-functional team collaboration, thanks to its user-friendly interface, end-to-end encryption, and real-time interaction capabilities. However, it is crucial to recognise potential security and privacy risks.

Despite the platform’s use of encryption, vulnerabilities exist that could expose users to hacking threats.

Recent changes in privacy policies, particularly increased data sharing with Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has raised concerns and sparked discussions about users’ privacy.

Regardless, there are a few things that every WhatsApp user can do to tighten security and avert potential harm.

Use disappearing option

Protect sensitive data with disappearing options for added privacy. Opt for View Once when sending photos and media, allowing recipients to view the message just once, without the ability to save, forward, screenshot, or share it.

This feature extends to voice notes, ensuring they can be played only once.

Enhance privacy by disabling read receipts and utilising disappearing messages to safeguard important chats.

However, a digital marketer, Joel Ozue, said, “It’s not always going to be all sweet because there are times you would want to retrieve those conversations and you won’t be able to find them. So, that’s a problem. Activating disappearing messages has both the good side and the bad side; you have to make the choice. I won’t activate that, though.”

Use WhatsApp’s latest version

The latest versions of WhatsApp usually have security benefits.

It’s important to always verify the app’s authenticity by checking the correct logo and confirming the name as “WhatsApp”.

Beware of fake apps that pose security risks, such as sending spam and scams without your awareness.

Ozue noted, “What I don’t like about the newest version of WhatsApp is how status updates are displayed. It’s not like before, when you could easily choose the WhatsApp status you want to view. Those who are still using the older version of WhatsApp benefit from this.”

Activate chat lock

Enhance conversations with Chat Lock. It isolates specific chat threads, accessible only with a unique password, distinct from your device password.

This extra layer of protection ensures the privacy of chats containing personal or financial information, even if someone gains access to your phone.

A software developer, Ifeanyi Ojukwu, noted, “You can secure WhatsApp by using an app lock, which is available on some phones or can be downloaded separately.”

However, despite efforts to maintain privacy, the software developer said it’s worth noting that individuals often capture screenshots of conversations, making privacy a challenging aspect of our daily interactions.

He added that by scanning the QR code of the person, you are chatting with, you can enhance the security of the conversation through end-to-end encryption.

Beware of scam

Guarding against scams is crucial in various forms, be it calls, emails, or messages. The initial defence involves taking a moment to reflect. When confronted with a suspicious message seeking personal information, scrutinise the sender’s identity.

Check if you recognise the contact, share common groups, or if the message aligns with your current location.

WhatsApp offers the option to immediately block an unknown contact.

Additionally, reporting and blocking suspicious contacts later on is a simple yet effective way to maintain the security of your account.

A software engineer, Terry Lambert, warned via Quora that if someone gained access to a physical device where WhatsApp had been used, but none of the information is private.

According to Lambert, the data can be read out, emphasising the potential vulnerability of information stored on the messaging platform in such scenarios.

“If you have currently logged in a session for WhatsApp on the device, you can do a lot more than that, utilising the session token. In terms of safety, it’s not going to make your phone battery explode, so I’m not sure how it could be unsafe. But it’s not guaranteed for you to have privacy.”

Linking your WhatsApp

These days, WhatsApp lets you link up to four devices to your primary phone for an uninterrupted chat experience. Caution must be applied here when doing this.

Make sure you are linking to the correct URL web.whatsapp.com or have the official app (from whatsapp.com/download or the app store).

You can also review your linked devices by going to Settings>Linked Devices and logging out of any device you don’t recognise.

Backup Whatsapp messages

Backing up your WhatsApp messages is highly recommended to prevent the loss of important conversations and media. You can back up your messages and media to Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iOS.

Two-step verification

A cybersecurity analyst at SAP, Jerameel Madumere, said activating two-step authentications should be the basic security measure for every WhatsApp user.

He said two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to WhatsApp accounts, making it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your account.

However, he warned, “If you lose access to your phone number or device, you may not be able to access your account, even with two-factor authentication enabled.”

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TECHDIGEST – It was on August 23, 2021, that a man in a black suit walked into our office at 9.30 am. He introduced himself as the Protocol Officer in the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and announced that the Minister, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, would arrive at our office by 11.00am.

Prior to that, we had sent out invitations to the Minister and the agencies under his Ministry, to a close-knitted and private event of a book presentation in our modest conference room at PRNigeria Centre, Wuye District, Abuja

While aware of the fact that a Monday morning is usually a hectic period for many chief executive officers, we had kept our expectations moderate and hoped that at least the Minister and the CEOs of associated agencies would send representation to the event.

As we went about organising the sitting arrangement of the anticipated guests with the protocol officer, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, arrived, followed shortly by the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of cognate parastatals of the Communications Ministry.

The CEOs included Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Muhammad Abubakar of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Dr. Abimbola Alale of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Engr. Aliyu A. Aziz of National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi of Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu of Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF)

We were flabbergasted and exhilarated in equal measure by the arrival of the minister at about a quarter to 11 a.m, before the start of the event, which is highly unusual for an official of his calibre in Nigeria. Following this, our premises became a beehive of uncommon activities.

Before that day, the last time I had met the Minister Face-to-Face was in August 2020, when I led editorial members of the Economic Confidential publication to his office for an interview. That encounter motivated one of our staff writers, Inyene Ibanga, to develop a keen interest in covering the Information Technology sector, going forward.

As a Mass Communications graduate, with a Master’s Degree in Public Relations, Ibanga not only started filing in reports on the sector but he equally wrote weekly articles on Digital Innovation, with a particular focus on activities at NITDA.

By July this year, Inyene Ibanga, who currently edits TechDigest, had developed a remarkable portfolio of published articles on the digital economy sector in Nigeria and other related developments in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain technology, Big Data, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, social media, among others.

In realising the paucity of literature on the Information Technology sector in Nigeria, the parent company of our publications, *Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), which was declared the Most-Creative PR Agency Worldwide in 2020 (check Statista),* decided to compile and publish Ibanga’s articles into a book form entitled, Digital Innovation for Prosperity in Nigeria.

The book comprises eight chapters of 40 well-researched and articulated subjects, with the chapters of the book including, “Enhancing Start-ups”; “Strengthening Innovative Solutions”; “Managing Data for Productivity”; “Protecting Cyber Security”, and “Accessing E-Learning”. The other chapters consist of, “Promoting Digital Inclusion”; “Transforming the Way of Doing Things” and “Advancing the Digital Economy.”

Analogous issues and areas mediated upon in the book include elucidations on the smart city, smart campuses, digital transformation, disruptive technology, e-commerce, e-learning, e-tourism, fact-checking, the Industrial Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, e-voting, among others.

We were delighted, at the compilation stage of the book, when the Minister accepted to write the Foreword. And, in his recommendation, the erudite scholar and professor of cybersecurity noted that the “book will help expose its readers to the benefits of digital innovation and digital economy.”

As earlier mentioned, with the arrival of the Minister, the programme started with a welcome address by Chairman of the Board of IMPR, Dr Sule Yau Sule, who hailed the rapid development of the digital economy in Nigeria, with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) being the fastest-growing sector of the economy.

Whilst speaking in the same vein, the DG of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, who was also celebrated at the occasion for clocking two years in the saddle, expressed excitement that the well-thought-out policies, initiatives and promotion of digital innovation, as engineered by the Minister, are already yielding huge positive results.

As I reviewed the book, I informed our August visitors that the compendium explores ways in which Nigeria does not get left behind in the deployment of technology for providing solutions to economic challenges. The book also examines the roles of regulatory bodies, especially NITDA in the promotion of Information Technology across all the spheres, through the development of frameworks, standards, guidelines, regulations, and policies.

As the Special Guest of Honour, the minister commended the contributions of IMPR’s titles in constructive engagements and the media coverage of various sectors.

Pantami said: “The publications of IMPR, especially PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and TechDigest have demonstrated the quality of evidence-based journalism.”

Speaking on the book, the minister noted the author, Inyene Ibanga, as highlighting how digital innovation has led to surging economic prosperity in Nigeria, within the framework of the ground-setting and key initiatives of the Ministry of Communication with the full endorsements of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister, therefore, urged Nigerians to develop the habit of reading, as “Readers are leaders”, and that all noted world leaders are people who spend quality time reading.

Speaking on behalf of all other special guests at the occasion, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta praised the author and the publisher for the compendium on ICT in Nigeria, and with special reference to the significant milestones that have been attained by NITDA.

In commending the excellent synergy and rapport among the chief executives of agencies under the Ministry of Digital Economy, Mallam Yusuf Alli, one of the directors of IMPR, used the opportunity of the closing remarks at the event to also laud the rare leadership of Prof Pantami.

Mallam Alli, who is an award-winning investigative editor further stated that other ministries and agencies of government in Nigeria could learn a lot from the unity of purpose of these officials, as exemplified in their collaborations for the development of the country, alongside their humility, brilliance, intellection, and high senses of responsibility.

Days after, while the magnificence of that event still resonates, the coming together of a rich calibre of personalities to reflect on Nigeria’s digital journey so far, on a unique Monday Morning, is not only a great honour to many of us who have been toiling to produce information that enhances Nigeria’s image, but also a memory that will remain indelible in our minds for a long time to come.

To the August visitors, especially, the enviable Professor of Cybersecurity, we are indeed highly indebted for the surprise visit and kind words. As PR people, not just communicators, we cherish friendship and the sense of brotherhood through constructive engagements towards a greater nation.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Editor-in-Chief PRNigeria and Economic Confidential
www.YAShuaib.com

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TECHDIGEST – Nigeria businesses may have lost N150.46bn ($366.88m) since the Federal Government’s suspension on Twitter took effect in the country on June 5.

This figure was calculated based on the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool. According to the tool, it costs Nigeria’s economy N102.77m ($250,600) every hour to ban Twitter.

It has been 1,464 hours (61 days) since the ban. In that time period, Nigeria may have lost N150.46bn.

The NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool estimates the economic impact of an internet disruption, mobile data blackout or app restriction in a nation using indicators from the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, Eurostat and U.S. Census.

The Federal Government had on June 4 announced the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. Telecommunication companies started blocking access to Twitter on June 5, after they received a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to block access to Twitter.

The FG had cited the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence as the reason for the suspension.

Following the ban, groups including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had dragged the Federal Government to the ECOWAS court.

The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it had not stopped Nigerians from using Twitter, adding that many Nigerians still used it every day.

This was in a counter-affidavit the government deposed to in response to an originating motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.

The affidavit said, “The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria.

“Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion.”

According to a report by Statista, Nigeria has about 33 million active social media users, with about 26 per cent on Twitter.

Since the ban, some Nigerians have migrated to the use of Virtual Private Networks.

ExpressVPN said in June that it recorded an increase of over 200 per cent in web traffic from Nigeria since the Federal Government banned Twitter.

VPN works by changing the location of devices they run on. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises have said this has not been good for their businesses.

In a report in The PUNCH, financial planner, Kalu Aja said, “Social media enables the brand to talk directly to consumers. It’s direct marketing, specific and targeted. There is no organisation on earth, profit or not-for-profit, without some form of advocacy via social media.

“The Twitter Suspension raises a narrative about doing business in Nigeria, and it’s not a good narrative. Specifically, Twitter and social media allow Small and Medium-scale Enterprises and sole proprietors with zero marketing budgets but a smartphone to build and communicate a brand promise.”

Olanregun Ayodele who sells women’s and men’s clothing on Twitter said, “Twitter was very important to my business. I got a lot of customers from Twitter.

“I can’t put an amount to it. But I have made money to sustain myself and my family from Twitter. Since the ban began, business has been stressful and tiring. Business is dry. Normally the end of the month is always booming but since the ban, it’s been so slow.

“People coming to my DM have reduced a lot; VPN has reduced lots of people and followers on Twitter.”

Another SME entrepreneur, Babatunde Motunrayo, who sells female accessories on Twitter said, “Twitter was very helpful. I got 75 per cent sales here, compared to other apps I sell on. I use Instagram too but make more sales from Twitter.

“It’s not been the same. Sales have been poor. Having to turn on and off your VPN most times makes you reply to clients late and before you know it, you’ve lost the client because some say they’ve got it from another vendor. Sometimes you won’t get messages early. Some people stopped using Twitter outright.”

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TECH DIGEST – The Image Merchants Promotions (IMPR) Limited, publisher of both PRNigeria and Economic Confidential is ranked number one and identified as the most creative PR agency worldwide in 2020 Global Creativity Index (GCI).

The ranking is confirmed by Statista, the leading provider of market and consumer data and the best statistics portal in the world.

The annual index, produced by PRovoke, formerly Holmes Report ranks the most awarded PR campaigns and firms in the world, weighting their impacts, while taking cognisance of their staff size.

In ranking agencies against their peers, the weighted table is segmented along regional lines, producing the top five rankings for North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

Image Merchants, which is not affiliated to any larger PR firm, is also ranked number one in the list of top-weighted PR agencies in Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA).

Founded by award-winning Crisis Communicator, Yushau A. Shuaib, Image Merchants provides PR advisories to the financial sector and critical institutions including military, security, intelligence and response agencies in Nigeria.

Since 2016, IMPR, has consistently won African PR Awards, SABRE Awards and Golden World Awards hosted by African Public Relations Association (APRA) and International Public Relations Association (IPRA) respectively.

The Global Creativity Index reports that “in 2020, the first position title on top weighted PR agencies is taken by a Nigerian firm Image Merchants Promotions Limited, thanks to campaigns for the Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Communication Commission and Nigerian Customs Service. Finland’s Kurio ranks second, moving up from third in 2019, with Brazil’s Sherlock Communications dropping from second last year to fourth.”

In the third spot is US firm Joy Collective, thanks to its Crown Act campaign for Dove, while Romania’s Rogalski Damaschin moves up from ninth to fifth.

The geographic diversity of the weighted table again stands out. In addition to Image Merchants of Nigeria, Finland, Brazil and Romania in the top five, there are also firms from Australia (CampaignLab), South Africa (Tribeca), Slovakia (Seesame), Singapore (AKA Asia and IN.FOM), Norway (Trigger) and Peru (Orange 360). Three firms from the UK also make the top 15, led by The Romans, up to eighth from 15th last year.

Meanwhile the top of the overall agency table is dominated by global PR networks for their volume of awards.

BCW has taken top spot in the 2020 edition of the Global Creative Index, marking the first time that the WPP PR firm has ranked first in PRovoke’s annual benchmark of creativity in the public relations world.

The ninth edition of the Global Creative Index analyses entries and winners from more than 25 PR, digital and marketing awards programmes from around the world over a 12-month period, up to the 2020 Global SABRE Awards.

The formula takes into account the expansion of ‘public relations’ work across multiple categories at advertising-oriented shows such as the Cannes Lions, although several of these competitions did not take place this year.

BCW’s performance was powered by a range of work from across its global network, including award-winning campaigns for Boehringer Ingelheim, Coca-Cola, Huawei, Lenzing, the NBA and Tencel, with much of the work originating from its Asia-Pacific, EMEA and LatAm markets.

BCW moves up from second in 2019, ahead of Edelman and Ketchum, with just four points separating the top three this year. Edelman jumps from fourth, benefiting from campaigns for Causes for Animals Singapore, Coop, Gerber and Unilever, among others. Ketchum, meanwhile, stays third, supported by campaigns for Gillette, Mastercard and Wendy’s.

Weber Shandwick, which ranked first in 2019 for the fourth time in five years, drops to fourth in 2020, ahead of Ogilvy and Dentsu — neither of which change positions. There is a major leap for Golin, up from 21st last year to seventh in 2020, while FleishmanHillard, H+K Strategies and ICF Next round out the top ten.

Sources
Statista: Most creative PR agenciesworldwide weighted by staff size in 2020, according to Global Creative Index

Provoke: Global Creativity Index

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