Strength your security:Cyber criminals have increased their attacks during this Corona period

As the Coronavirus pandemic has unraveled, cybercriminals have gotten more active than ever consistently targeting businesses and specifically individuals working from home.You can take an example of how South Africa parliamentary online discussion was hijacked . These, although not including hospital targets, do encompass a range of industries.

When you look at what one can do from a defense point, you have to look at what is the

most critical asset to secure for doing business online. The answer is Applications and if you focus on taking steps to secure the application from attacks you are focusing on mitigating the risks for your business to a large extent.

In current times the concept of internal vs external applications is blurred and WFH becoming the norm applications are not restricted to just your public-facing corporate websites but any set of digital services that can be consumed by your users whether it be employees, partners, and customers.

And so really make us consider the need for enhancing application security. To set the definition; Application security is the implementation of measures that can help secure a particular app by protecting its contents which would include both the data contained within and its code.

It would also include a range of things from access controls, vulnerability assessments, Data protection/encryption, and this article attempts to list them down.

In its true sense, an application here by no means is restricted to that of a smartphone, it also includes modern-day websites. Therefore, to start with, different types of application security categories need to be factored in, each with its importance in these times.

1: Authentication

First up, we have authentication whose purpose is to ensure that only authorized users gain access to parts of a web application. This can be done so by adding simple measures like passwords as well as two-factor authentication (2FA ).

Its importance can be stemmed from the fact that the failure to do so can allow intruders to access confidential data of companies and even blackmail them in already cash-critical times like the ones we face today.

The recommendation is not just to put strong authentication and access control in place but also to have user activity logging so that if an incident is reported we can be able to go back and analyze.

Security precautions are not just about defense but also having a process in place to be able to analyze and react if something wrong happens and authentication and access control along with logging enables you to do that.

2. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Secondly, to ensure that your site is not bombarded with fraudulent traffic, such as an application focused on a distributed denial of service (DDoS and Bot ) attack, it is necessary that a WAF is employed as it effectively filters out such traffic.

Furthermore, it can also be used to guard against a range of other common attacks perpetrated on web applications including but not limited to SQL injections, Cross-Site-Scripting (XSS), and Cross-Site Forgery.

It also provides a footprint of incidents/

suspicious attempts which can be used as a basis to also investigate if something wrong happens and take corrective steps quickly.

3. Encryption

Thirdly, strong encryption is needed as there are dozens of cases every day where databases are breached and data is stolen. Hence, a strong encryption algorithm would ensure that the data is useless to the attackers and the information of a firm’s users and employees is protected.

Ensure Strong encryption is used for all data in transmission and also in storage and tied with access control the decryption should be possible only to authorized and authenticated users.

4. Logging

Fourthly, logging is important as and is an important component that applies to all the measures as it involves storing real-time information about the activities of users such as when they login to the activities they perform once logged in.

In the case that something goes wrong, system administrators can in this way effectively track the ones responsible for leaving a loophole in security or possibly aiding the attackers. This also can be used to learn from the activities to further improve the policies independent of whether an incident has been reported or not.

5. Penetration Testing

Fifthly, we believe that frequent automated security assessment and periodic manual penetration testing is vital as it can help a company realize the flaws in its security before the attackers do so letting it efficiently implement patches. Failure to do so can result in a site being a victim of a range of attack vectors such as the injection of malicious code through forms.

To conclude, all 5 factors fall into application security and are very important today. However, it is also essential to understand that not every business can afford an in-house cybersecurity team and even if it can, it may not be the most efficient to have one. Hence, they can consider outsourcing to a 3rd party solutions provider who brings in much-needed expertise with them.

DRC Army confirm South Sudan soldiers's entry into DRC territory

It was from 29 to 31 May 2020 that the presence of the South Sudan army was reported in the chiefdom of Rumu group, more precisely in the centre of Karagba, located about 4 km from the border between the DRC and southern Sudan in the territory of the Aru more than 350 km north of Bunia.

The army's spokesperson in Ituri, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo on the phone by Bunia Actualite, said that "it is not for the first time that the Sudanese army has been making illegal entry" and calls on the authorities to take seriously this situation that could lead to clash between the two Loyalists forces "

" We want to reassure the people of the Kakwa and the population in general that the situation is under control despite the fact that our intervention has arrived late and these incursions will no longer happen again he concluded.

The first crossing of the border by these foreign military took place from 12 to 13 May without causing any damage but the one from 29 to 31 May was characterised by looting of people's property, they set fire on houses and inhabitants took refuge  to the trading center of Ingbokolo

Congolese Society for the rule of law welcomes the arrest of T. Mputu involved in the murder of UN experts

Congolese society for the rule of law (Rajan), a non-government organization working in Kasai-Central, welcomes the arrest of Treasure Mputu involved in the killing of UN experts.

This wish is contained in a statement made public by this structure of civil society this Monday, June 2020, 1, signed by its General Director, President Dominique Kambala.

At the same time, the Rajan wonders why since the end of hostilities in Kasai-Central and the start of the assassination trial of two UN experts Zaïda Catalan and Michael Sharp in June 2017, the suspect was travelling freely in the territory of of and was sometimes seen walking around Kananga without being worried while he was in the sight of justice?

Do not hold it, Congolese society for the rule of law requires that this suspect be questioned without TFP and that his case be fixed diligently before the military court to be tried together with the other accused in the case open under RP 030/031/032 during, in front of the military court of the former province of Kasai-Western.

It should be remembered that Treasure Mputu Kankonde, one of the powerful leaders of the Kamuina militia militia suspected of participating in the assassination of Michael sharp and Zaïda Catalan two UN experts in Kasai, was arrested in Kananga in Kasai-Central on Friday 29 May 2020.

European number intercepting our 2FA verification messages! Take a good watch fello ugandans

There are some phone numbers in europe intercepting 2FA authentication codes of accounts(gmail accounts) created and associated to ugandan mobile phone numbers!!!! Who are these people??? Why are they interested in this??? Example;this number;+37282340480... 

As you can see;at first it is google that sent the code!!!

Then this number later intercepted  the message

What i discovered is that some social media accounts are monitored;and if by mistake a message take long to arrive and you resend it:these criminals get a high chance of hijacking the message ..on another view ;is if you are login from a computer or a phone which does not hold the simcard to which the message has to be sent;then the chances of intercepting  the message is high!!!! I think there may be a foreighn group operating simboxes mainly targeting  us.

WE NEED MORE RESEARCH  ON THIS

Who owns these phone numbers??? Which telecommunications company owns this message centre number???????

..,..........

could this be related to all this online forgery and cloning of our social media accounts!!!please ugandans ;keep your eyes open!Do not use such codes sent by these numbers instead get to  other means of authentication! I saw this number indicating QWERTY at the end of the sent code.I anticipated that he was forwarding this message also to another number of  a person he wanted to tell that i was using a qwerty keyboard!!!!Remeber all the forged tweets on president Museveni's apparent  twitter account and the mimicked reply tweets to it;plus all other forgery mails like those that tried to mimick the email of minister Ruth acheng!.......Uganda communication commission, please wake up for we need another  thorough cleansing within the communication sector.

For GOD and my Country 

Why is USA harrassing Egypt on the plan to purchase sukhoi military jets

Egypt felt betrayed in 2013 when the US decided to freeze the supply of its Apache helicopters to Cairo amid its fight against terrorism, says an Egyptian expert. Since then, the nation has learned from its past mistakes and decided to diversify its sources of military equipment reaching out to countries like Russia, despite US objections.

Russia has reportedly started manufacturing 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets for the Egyptian Air Force, in accordance with a $2 billion deal inked between the two countries in 2018.

The delivery of the first batch was scheduled for earlier this year but the process has been delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus which led to the shutting down of several defence production plants in Russia.

Now that the country is gradually opening up, reports suggest that production has been resumed, with Moscow expected to send the first jets as early as the third or fourth quarter of 2020.

Washington Eyeing the Deal With Concern

While Egypt awaits delivery, Washington is eyeing the deal with concern. Less expensive, capable of carrying more missiles, and flying farther than some of America's fighter jets , the Su-35 is set to challenge America's superiority in the sky.

Earlier, it was reported that the US administration had threatened Cairo with sanctions if the latter dared to move ahead with the purchase of Russia's 4++ generation supersonic multirole fighter jets but Maged Botros, professor of political science and the chairman of Egypt's Helwan University, says the Egyptian Republic has nothing to worry about.

"The US is bluffing. They have been threatening other countries too, including Turkey who was warned not to purchase Russia's S-400 missile systems but nothing has happened. Egypt is a sovereign state and nobody, including Washington, can dictate to us about what to do".

But it hasn't always been this way. In 1972, shortly after he came to power in Egypt, President Anwar al-Sadat decided to change his predecessor's policy and tilted towards the West, sending home Soviet troops that had been positioned in Egypt for decades.

Since then, US interference in Egypt has only grown as has the assistance Washington has been providing. In 1975, it amounted to more than $370 million, a stark increase from 1962, when US aid was at its peak pouring some $200 million into the Egyptian economy.

Over the years that assistance has continued to grow, especially after Cairo signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, with Washington beginning to send Egypt military assistance. According to estimates, from 1978 to the present, the US has poured more than $50 billion into the Egyptian military, causing a dependency on its generous monetary donations.

Breaking Away From Dependency on Washington

Then came a turning point. After the masses supported by the Egyptian Army ousted then President Mohammed Morsi, Egypt fell into mayhem used by terrorists to launch attacks on the country's civilians and security personnel.

In a bid to tackle that challenge, the Egyptian military turned to the US, asking to provide it with Apache helicopters used to track and eliminate terrorists in remote and hard to reach areas of the Sinai, a response that fell on deaf ears.

"It was then that Cairo understood the true meaning of the proverb: a friend in need is a friend indeed, and when [President Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi came to power [in 2014] he made sure to let the Americans know that from now on, Egypt's dependency on Washington was over", said Botros.

Since 2014, President al-Sisi has been working hard on diversifying the sources of the nation's military equipment to avoid the dependency that has tied the country's hands in the past. In 2014, Cairo ordered

two submarines from Germany and a year later it purchased Rafale fighter jets from France. Multi-billion dollar deals have also been signed with other providers, including China and Russia.

For Botros that policy made perfect sense. "Never in a million years will be willing to put all our eggs in one basket, the way it was before 2014. Egypt has learned a lesson and we will not repeat past mistakes", explained the expert.

Money as a Means of Leverage

This, however, might be a difficult task to achieve considering that "much of Egypt's equipment is still of American origin" and given that the country is the largest recipient of US aid after Israel.

In the past, it was thought that Washington would not hesitate to cancel all or some of its aid to force Egypt drop the idea of purchasing Russian arms. It has also been reported that the US might also choose to suspend its joint military drills with the Egyptians making them reconsider their policy.

Yet, Botros believes these and other challenges are incapable of breaking Egypt's spirit. Nor will they be able to alter Cairo's decision to stick to its policy of diversification.

"The US [military] assistance constitutes a small percentage of our military's total budget", he said referring to the $11 billion that Cairo injected into its military in 2019. "Plus, Egypt has a number of sources of income so we will still be able to pull through even if the worse comes to worst".

In addition to the Suez Canal that enriches Egypt's economy with an average of $5 billion annually, Cairo has also been investing in its gas hoping to turn the country into an energy hub from which gas can reach destinations in Europe and Asia, thereby injecting billions of dollars into the country's budget.

That's why, said Botros, the US should not try their luck with Egypt, because if they do, Cairo will be forced to pull some strings too.

"In addition to the Suez Canal, Cairo has leverage over the Gulf States, one of America's main markets. Egypt's diplomatic efforts in stabilising the region have also been acknowledged, whereas the country's conduct in curbing the spread of terrorism and illegal immigration has been noteworthy. So I suggest that the US should not put pressure on us".

United nations:What is behind the new wave of killings in ituri and Kivu?

Seven months after their launch in North Kivu, the " large-scale operations " of the Armed Forces of the DRC, triggered according to the official version to eradicate militias called " ADF " and protect civilians, have had the opposite effect.

The carnage have stepped up and the area of violence has expanded to the east and beyond the territory of Beni, Ituri, in the west.

People have no doubts about the hidden objective of these military maneuvers: to exercise domination through fear in a historic area and to provoke farmer s' movements to free the fields of land for the benefit of some officers and their families.

They are part of a chain of command parallel to the orders of Kinshasa, which since October 2014 has infiltrated, manipulate and directs criminal teams.

Their names and actions are known. Colonel Tipy Ziro Ziro, in particular, directs a special unit of the 31th Brigade involved in the killing. He has been mentioned as head of death squadrons by many reports of Ong and UN experts on victims of the massacre in Ntombi, in the territory of Beni.

These collusion Mafia between the military of the special forces deployed in Beni, the militias killing the innocent and local authorities do not date today. They are, among other reasons, the basis of what is called the "ADF phenomenon", which in fact hides a criminal strategy of predation and domination.

In the case of "large-scale operations", announced in large pump on October 31th so-called to eliminate groups responsible for atrocities against civilians, the generals settled in Beni have chosen to mobilize their troops more on the South-east axis, where the mountains of the Ruwenzori is located, only on the north-west side, leaving the of teams a major freedom of action.

A Underground Staff directs the massacres

Désemparées, stalked and grieving, the people are delivered to an invisible and both known enemy. They know that within the regular army (FARDC), a clandestine staff holds command and control the organization of the massacres.

No one is fooled anymore. Seven months after the launch of the "large-scale operations" to be eliminated by the deadly groups, these groups have, on the contrary, resulted in the multiplication of their packages. From October 31th to the end of May, there are 655 victims, including 158 in May, most of them civilians. The figures on the rise despite the presence of 23 thousand FARDC soldiers and a dozen general in the territory! And which reflects the true purpose of this spectacular military deployment, which has certainly not been considered to protect civilians and destroy killers...

Tribal militias that defeat the army...

In addition, the area of massacres has expanded east in the the rich in cocoa, coffee and vanilla. And to the west, beyond the territory of Beni and to Ituri, where the smuggling of gold is prosperous.

In Ituri, there is also a group called CODECO (Co-op for the Development of Congo), which many commentators consider, in its origins and use, a copy of the "alleged ADF".

" CODECO ", " ADF "... fictitious labels of groups controlled by the army's parallel command. In May, these same "ADF" made a lot of progress. In the foray from 25 to 26 May in Samboko, the, they left 54 horribly mutilated victims in the field.

There is another significant aspect to highlight. Recently, the Security Barometer of Kivu (KST) reported " An important clash (which) took place on Wednesday, May 27, between FARDC and ADF, in Makembi (Beni territory). According to local police and police sources, he has killed 23 FARDC and 7 'ADF' side ". An amazing record for the regular army in the face of an enemy who normally goes after unarmed civilians... From a source close to the file, this would confirm the true identity of those who hide behind the "alleged ADF": FARDC special forces framed within an invisible hierarchy and who do not hesitate to face other FARDC, if necessary. This explains the heavy losses of the latter, difficult to justify in the event of clashes with community militias operating with women, children and killing peaceful peasants with machetes and hunting guns.

Also in Ituri, fights are reported between the CODECO and the Loyalist army. At the end of April, FARDC suffered a crushing defeat and lost control of about twenty villages. An offensive that has obviously been supported by strong, well-equipped forces. A military expert on the ground who wanted to remain anonymous points out to Maelezo Kongo that these attacks are being carried out according to well-established, co-ordinated operational plans and with adequate logistic structures and tactical principles. In this way, they can only be the work of specialists in illegal action at the head of elite troops mobilizing territorial militias and acting out of command, directly at the orders of the presidency of the Republic in Kinshasa.

Who are the masters of these "grey" units?

It is known that throughout this area, on the road leading to Ituri through Eringeti, is present the 312th quick reaction battalion of General Mundos's famous 31th Brigade (2). For a short time in 2018, the boss of this unit was General rugayi, a former support of FDLR fighters, the Rwandan Hutu rebels, once allies of Kinshasa. A sulphur profile, like that of Colonel Tipy Ziro Ziro, who, according to our reports, would lead the deadly assaults against civilians today. Sometimes the Colonel, a former man of the low works of Mundos, organizes attacks against FARDC positions, whose weapons are recovered and provided to the militias with which he organized juicy gold and wood trafficking.

In his headquarters in Eringeti, Tipy Ziro Ziro works with another controversial officer and suspected by the Beniciens to be in touch with the cutthroats, Colonel Kisembo. With his 3408th Brigade (the former 809th Regiment), this officer directs the operational sub-sector of Oïcha, from which he was first permuted in July 2015 under pressure from the Beni who accused him of collaborate in the killing. In December 2014, the NGO CRDH accused him of arbitrary arrest, torture of civilians and extortion of property. At the time, the two Colonel were working on strengthening the strength and equipment of an ethnic militia of the group of Bambuba-Kisiki, the Matata Group, then deployed to the sites of the massacres.

Those of Tipy Ziro Ziro and Kisembo are examples among others, relevant to the clearing of recent and less recent events, as our Colonel has been working at the scene of crimes since the beginning of this tragic story.

For them, as for their colleagues in the " parallel hierarchy ", it will also be about bringing the rings of this grey chain of command up to the " head of the snake " which is at the manoeuvre of a bloody epic with a record of at least 4000 victims .

General Charles Akilimali Muhindo Mundosi, called Mundos, a former Republican Guard, was sent to Beni by Kinshasa in September 2014. In early October, the cycle of massacres began. Mundos has been mentioned in many UN reports as a sponsor of militias responsible for crimes and is under sanctions from the European Union and the United States.

With 146 new cases confirmed in the DRC, the accumulation rises to 3195

146 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the only day of Sunday, May 2020, 31 according to the newsletter of the technical secretary of the multisectoral committee of the response.

According to this source, out of the 146 new confirmed cases 135 are from the city of Kinshasa, epicenter of the pandemic, 10 from Haut-Katanga and 1 from Kwango, the 8th province of the country to be affected.

For example, the accumulation of cases since the official statement of this pandemic in the DRC on March 10 is 3.195, including 3.194 confirmed cases and 1 likely cases.

With respect to healings, with the 6 new people who came out healed, the accumulation is now 454 from the same source.

It should also be noted that no cases of death have been reported. However, the technical secretary points out that 986 suspect cases are being investigated and 2169 patients are in good condition.

Catholic Bishop of BUNIA bitter on the possible balkanisation of DRC deemed to start in KIVU and ITURI

During his lecture this Sunday, May 2020, 31, the Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Bunia in Ituri did not mince words to denounce what he describes as an "international plan of balkanization of the Congo".

According to the Catholic bishop, those fighting in Ituri, especially in Djugu and Irumu, are used to materialize this plan to occupy indigenous lands and exploit Congolese natural riches, including the oil of Lake Albert.

" Let no one cheat on you, do you know why we die every day in Djugu? It's because of the balkanization said Archbishop Dieudonné Uringi in front of thousands of his followers.

And add: "I was in Germany, I was shown a map that divided our country into 4 states".

To the Hema and Lendu, the main conflicting tribes in the territory of Djugu, Bishop Dieudonné Uringi calls to stop killing each other.

" The Hema and the Lendu we are at risk of being slaves of the people who come to occupy our lands. It may be that day that we will understand " warn the man of God.

Prennant the example of the Sudan which was divided after 30 years of endless geurres, the prelate wonder if South Sudan has now developed as the secessionist claimed.

" It took 30 years for the Sudan's division plan to succeed. These are the same ones who also want to balkanize our country. If we keep killing each other, we're going to regret it tomorrow he said.

Speaking of the other rebellion called FPIC based on the group Chini ya Kilima in the territory of Irumu, M. Uringi calls to stop tribalism, blaming some MPs and a remarkable Muslim from the middle of being at the base of this situation.

Very well known for his frank-speaking, Mr. Dieudonné Uringi has been engaged against the division of his country in the DRC for years.

On April 26, this prince of the church had held the same speech in front of thousands of his followers, calling the CODECO Militia to be used to realize the balkanization of the rd Congo.

Could this be true? Ebola case in mbandaka of equador province

According to reliable source,health Minister Eteni Longondo, announced this Monday, June 2020, 1, the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the city of Mbandaka, head of the province in Ecuador.

" I can confirm that we have a new Ebola epidemic in Mbandanka, in the province of former Ecuador. Which makes me go there to give technical support to the response team ", he said.

This new Ebola epidemic in Mbandaka is taking place as the countdown to the end of the epidemic was launched in Beni (North Kivu).

The last Ebola epidemic in Ecuador province dates back to 2018. It had killed 33 people. The end of this ninth epidemic had been thought to be possible, according to the government, by the new new vaccine.

On 27/05/2020, Congolese alerted the gorvenment of a new rebellion in South kivu

The birth of a new Rebellion in Minembwe, South Kivu province has caused an alert from a FARDC officer (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) based in Bukavu, this Thursday, May 28, 2020. " It is a coalition that brings together fighters from the United States, Burundi, Rwanda and other lands. It is made up of of (Ngumino-Twirwaneho coalition) associated with Ebwela, Kibukila and Sikatenda to fight FARDC as alerted by an officer contacted by  media.

But while booking a confirmation of the name of the new army coalition, several investigators who document the dynamics of conflict in South Kivu have confirmed this information on the new threat of rebellion.

In Bukavu, another bell sound talks about a rebellion acting under the label " Dutabare ", which means " Let's go to rescue ", in Kinyarwanda, while others talk about " Dutabare-Twirwaneho " which always means in Kinyarwanda " Let's go to rescue-let's go ".

In addition, other sources reveal that on 23 May, there were clashes between the Congolese army and these new rebels, and that 5 attackers were killed and two soldiers fell on the field of honour at - run these fights. "We are aware of this news ( the birth of a new Rebellion ) and most of the messages launched is to prepare the population for their new Rebellion", thus meant a member of the civil society of Minembwe under anonymity.

Having the information already, the Congolese army has claimed to have taken steps to stop the progress of these militiamen towards Minembwe Centre, and further reports that four officers who wanted to join the Rebellion, including Colonel Kawaya and Major Muco, have been arrested and moved to Kinshasa. Until then, FARDC is hesitating to speak officially on this new threat in eastern DRC.