Category: Security
China dropping big four accounting firms, should Zimbabwe do the same?
You know, for a little while it looked like those hippies’ dreams of one global village had come true. Some of us grew up in the ‘we are the world’ era and really believed Lucky Dube when he said ‘we gotta stand together as one.’ It was a pipe dream. Families can’t even stand together […]
Scammers can now convincingly fake browser windows, including URL. You can protect against that
Man, just when we think we have this cybersecurity thing figured out someone throws a wrench in the works. One of the easiest ways to see if a website is shady is no longer as solid as it once was. Conventional wisdom says checking the URL is one of the surest ways to spot an […]
2FA halved account breaches according to Google
Early last year Google rolled out Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), or as the company calls it two-step verification automatically as an extra layer of security for its users. 2FA is when you use an additional method to verify your identity/account entry, this can be through a One Time Password (OTP) via SMS, call or through an […]
Forcing users to change passwords regularly is STUPID, especially now in 2022
At some point, security experts frantically scrambled to figure out a way to protect the masses online from ever complex hackers. See, hackers have been getting more daring as their skill sets have improved over the years. Security experts crunched the numbers and saw one way we could reduce our chances of getting hacked – […]
No, you have not won £990,000. Don’t fall for the Covid grant scam
We have talked about various online scams here on Techzim. We have discussed how you can protect yourself from them and I hope we are all helping those in our circle of acquaintances who may fall victim. Two of the main weaknesses we all have that scammers exploit are greed and desperation. When we are […]
Guy hacks UZ and allocates accommodation to students, netting US$3000 in the process
It’s fitting that on the day we are celebrating Computer Security Day we talk about the hacking of UZ. It is reported that one Martin Magomana (36) unlawfully gained access to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) computer network recently. We are not sure how much access he had and so cannot know the full extent […]
As we celebrate Computer Security Day let’s remind each other of these good habits
Every single one of us relies on some computer for our daily activities. For some, work means sitting in front of a computer. And with the work-from-home shift, this number is quite large now. For some, entertainment is the goal in this era of social distancing and limited gatherings. So pocket computers have been a […]
Android 10 still most popular (in Zim too,) even as Android 12 is rolling out
Zimbabwe, like all of Africa, is Android country. Just over 85% of the mobile devices in the country run Google’s Android operating system. That is no surprise, Android is great. It is also helped by the fact that there are many options, at every single price point. Whatever your budget, there is an Android phone […]
WhatsApp’s “view once” messages are better than nothing
For the past few months, I have been complaining about the way WhatsApp implements its disappearing messages feature. Recently they updated the options you have and now you can send and receive “view once” WhatsApp messages. The feature is kind of self-explanatory. You can choose to send a message that can only be viewed once […]
There is a naughty malware that’s blocking people from visiting torrent sites
Malware software programs are often known as viruses for good reason. In most cases the virus once it gets on your computer or any other devices proceeds to wreak havoc. Some payloads are created just to create chaos including trashing/deleting files or they could be crafty and for self-gain as we see in ransomware that […]
Why Zimbabwe should be wary of Huawei Technology
Imagine our entire telecommunications at the mercy of a communist nation that demands nothing short of compliancy.
TelOne’s car tracking service Teltrack launch event
TelOne has officially launched its vehicle tracking service Teltrack. At an event that was attended by representatives from the Ministry of ICT, Car Track, Zimoco, the Truckers Association of Zimbabwe and the press. The event shed more light on what Teltrack is about and what it does. Teltrack Teltrack is a service that is using […]
Bulawayo based firm partners with Chinese company on facial recognition systems
In a report by The Chronicle, Bulawayo based firm Brains at Work Consulting Pvt Ltd has entered into a partnership with a Chinese company called Clou Global Technology to be the sole distributor of Clou Global’s facial recognition and temperature scan systems. Who are the players in this deal? Brains at Work Consulting They are, […]
ZOLs Staffers Ask Subscribers To Share IDs Via WhatsApp – A Ticking Time Bomb
Zimbos are a pretty relaxed bunch when it comes to guarding our privacy on the internet. I got a gentle and unwelcome reminder of that a few hours ago. What happened? A ZOL staffer or someone with access to an official ZOL support line initiated a call to one of my colleagues. On the call, […]
Government Dumps Sensitive Employee Information On The Internet ZEC Style
Respect for data privacy and internet security is not well understood in Zimbabwe. The government is a major culprit in this crime of ignorance. Two years ago, the voter’s roll was accessed by some unscrupulous folks who just dumped the whole darn thing on the internet full of our names, ID numbers and residential addresses. […]
Utopia Peer-to-peer Ecosystem: Find A New Freedom
If the term “Big Brother” has been around for more than thirty years, it is even more current these days. Any click, any search, any purchase, any ad are recorded to create a profile of you that can at best be used to expose you to ads and content relevant to your interests and, at […]
Registrar General’s Website Hacked By Someone Who Can’t Spell ‘Hack’
Looks like someone’s Passport was delayed one too many days and they decided to hack the Registrar General’s website or perhaps it’s a disgruntled employee? The hack is just one of those nuisance hacks. Perhaps someone who thinks it’s cool and wants to brag to their friends that they are a ‘genius.’ Before we talk […]
Uninstall/Delete These 15 Malicious Android Apps
Researchers at Sophos recently uncovered 15 apps that don’t seem to do anything other than aggressively display ads on Android devices. What makes these applications even more insidious is that they hide their icons to make them more difficult to remove from the phone. Some of them even camouflage themselves in the settings with different […]
Hidden Dangers of Public Wi-Fi and How to Avoid Them From The Mouth Of Hackers
In the era when cybercrime is flourishing, public Wi-Fi has become a golden opportunity for various types of criminals. The latest survey shows that 79% of public Wi-Fi users take significant risks when choosing their Wi-Fi connection. They select a hotspot for its Wi-Fi strength, go for a name that sounds appropriate, or simply pick any free […]
Infographic: How Safe Is Your Online Data?
Infographic supplied by Tech Jury. Quick NetOne, Econet, And Telecel Airtime Recharge Number to recharge: Airtime amount ($): EcoCash or OneMoney number: Buy Please dial our USSD code *405# on your phone to buy airtime because this page will not work. {{error_message}} {{error_message}}
Cyber Security Workforce Gap Is Huge: Over 2.9 Million Workers Needed
(ISC)²’s Cyber Security Workforce Study for 2018 had some interesting revelations regarding the state of the cybersecurity workforce. There might a be a cybersecurity crisis on the horizon is action isn’t taken anytime soon. There’s also a pretty sweet silver lining. Worldwide there’s a shortage of nearly 3 million workers in cybersecurity. Europe, Africa and […]
What Can Be Done About Cyberbullying & Cyber Harassment?
I was approached by a fellow executive on how he could legally pursue and remove malicious information that is online. For years, Zimbabwean high profile individuals, executives and business owners have fallen victim to cyberbullying, Cyber Harassment and revenge p*rn. The internet has had a massive impact on many areas of personal and professional life, […]
A New Wave of Attacks Targeting Financial Services & Online Services In Africa
During Kaspersky Lab’s annual Cyber Security Weekend that took place in Cape Town, Kaspersky Lab experts discussed the widespread growth of mobile payments across the globe and the many cyber risks that surround such technology. Especially the recent SIM swap fraud wave, which has become very common in Africa and the wider region. In South […]
Card Cloning Epidemic Continues As Cloning Crew Steals $69 000
By going cashless the government was supposed to end the gruelling queues and demand for cash and make it easier to transact. What’s happened in reality isn’t that simple. Transacting has gotten prohibitively expensive and card cloning has become an issue that authorities have simply failed to deal with. Rarely does a month goes by […]
When You Install A Local Banking App, What Data Are You Giving Away?
If you have tried your hand at internet banking – using the banking apps specifically- you’ve probably had a convenient experience thus far. It’s certainly better than what you get using USSD anyway. But what do these banks ask for in return? Most of us (myself included) download an app and quickly allow the app […]
Econet Agent Asked My Colleague For Email Password Over The Phone, Not Cool!
So my colleague just got a call from a person who said they were calling from Econet. The conversation went like this: Econet Person (EP): Hello, my name is X I am calling you from Econet. My Colleague (MC): Hello, how can I help you? EP: We have noticed you downloaded Vaya but you have […]
Video: Here’s How You Can Notice An ATM Machine That’s Been Tampered With By Fraudsters
We’ve been complaining about card cloning for a while now and since our police force is not exactly prepared to deal with the crime, you’re pretty much on your own when it comes to protecting yourself against card cloning and most other cyber crimes. Thankfully we came across this video that shows a skimming machine […]
Steward Bank Warns Customers Not To Fall For Websites Pretending To Be Them
There can only be one Kalife kepurple. Steward Bank has sent out a message through their social media platforms, informing customers to stay away from websites claiming to be the banking institution. The bank sent out a customer notice that reads: Dear Valued Customer Please be aware of the fraudulent phishing websites that claim to […]
Apple Finally Fixed That FaceTime Bug
So last week one Facetime user discovered a bug that allowed callers to spy on their contacts and the internet went into a frenzy. Apple has always prioritised privacy so having something this devastating happen was obviously a big deal. Apple promised an update within a week and last night that update started rolling out. […]