In today’s digital age, Nigerian businesses are facing an unprecedented threat: sophisticated cyber attacks. According to Yesh Surjoodeen, Managing Director of HP in Southern Africa,
“These attacks are no longer limited to large multinationals, but are now targeting businesses of all sizes, from financial institutions to manufacturers and government agencies”.
The cost of a single breach can be catastrophic, with millions of naira spent on legal fees, reputational damage, public relations management, and IT infrastructure upgrades. Surjoodeen notes that “even when overall operations are only marginally affected, indirect issues can occur that require funding, including legal fees, public relations advisory, overtime for IT teams, and upgrading security systems.”
A recent report by Kaspersky ranked Nigeria among the top five countries in the Middle East and Africa experiencing a surge in ransomware attacks. The report revealed that 17.5% of Nigerian users surveyed had been affected by web-based threats, with many of them being small and mid-sized businesses with limited security resources. Kaspersky warned that “as countries like Nigeria expand their digital economies, ransomware attacks are on the rise. Limited cybersecurity awareness and resources leave many organisations vulnerable, and the region remains behind global hotspots.”
To combat these growing threats, HP is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to equip businesses with tools to proactively defend against cyberattacks. Surjoodeen explains that AI-powered solutions are transforming digital protection efforts across industries by embedding intelligent threat detection and response mechanisms directly into devices. “Every month, HP Solutions remediates over 11 million IT issues, keeping employees productive and IT teams focused on strategic initiatives and their core business,” he said.
HP’s approach aims to close the gap in cybersecurity by embedding AI threat detection and response capabilities directly into its device architecture. Using intelligent algorithms, HP devices can:
- Monitor network traffic and user behavior
- Detect anomalies and adjust access controls dynamically
- Automatically tighten login protocols after multiple failed attempts
Surjoodeen notes that “HP’s approach aims to close this gap by embedding AI threat detection and response capabilities directly into their device architecture.”
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Surjoodeen notes that HP’s AI-powered security solutions can help lower operational risk and improve employee support. With HP Wolf Security integrated across its product ranges, devices come with robust encryption and secure boot processes, guarding against malware, ransomware, and other advanced threats. “It is for this reason that more organisations are relying on smart, predictive IT that can help lower operational risk through the built-in tools in their new and existing infrastructure to meet their needs,” he explained.
HP’s WXP platform is an enterprise-grade tool that uses AI and analytics to monitor devices, anticipate performance issues, and improve employee support through a unified dashboard. IT managers can access tools like Fleet Explorer, which uses natural language queries to quickly identify and resolve tech issues, such as high memory utilisation causing performance lags.
As Nigeria pushes further into the digital economy, Surjoodeen believes that enterprises that integrate AI-powered security solutions will be better positioned to withstand future threats. “With the right tools, Nigerian enterprises can lead in the fight against cybercriminals,” he added.
