Hey Guys,
This is the last Big 5 Daily gist for August. Hope you are gearing up for an amazing new month.
Enjoy your read.
Upstream, an anti-fraud firm has found pre-installed malware on 53,000 Tecno W2 smartphones sold in Africa. Tecno debunked the allegations and referred its customers to contact after-sales support service for assistance.
Guess what, a fintech startup known as Esusu has raised $2.3 million to expand its rental offerings in the US.
Easy Aerial also secured $6.15M Series A funding to scale its autonomous monitoring drone-based solutions. it will capitalize on its position as a leading innovator to rapidly scale and meet up global demand.
UNICEF and Ericsson have partnered to map internet connectivity for schools and communities in 35 countries. The three-year initiative will ensure that every school has access to an internet connection.
Are you an innovative business owner in Kenya, Egypt, or Ghana? Empowering Entrepreneurship Initiative is calling on startups in these countries to solve COVID-19 related challenges.
https://disrupt-africa.com/2020/08/applications-open-for-enpacts-covid-19-relief-programmes/
Anticipate a beautiful new month.
Upstream, an Anti-Fraud Firm Finds Pre-Installed Malware in Tecno Smartphones Sold in Africa
Upstream, an anti-fraud firm claims it has found pre-installed malware on 53,000 Tecno W2 smartphones. It said that the phones were sold in Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa.
“The fact that the malware arrives pre-installed on handsets that are bought in their millions by typically low-income households tells everything you need to know about what the industry is currently up against,” says Geoffrey Cleaves, Head of Upstream’s Secure-D platform.
China’s Transsion Holdings dominates the African smartphone with a 41% market share. It manufactures Tecno and other affordable smartphones that are exclusive for the continent. There are millions of unsuspecting low-income households using these cheap smartphones with pre-installed malware.
The Triada malware on the Android smartphones installs malicious codes called xHelper. These codes subscribe to certain services on behalf and without the permission of users. The malware also submits fraudulent requests and consumes pre-paid airtime.
Tecno Mobile has debunked the allegation and claims that it was a globally solved mobile security issue. It advised consumers that are still using phones with the malware to download over-the-air fix or contact after-sales support service for assistance. It further claimed that every single pre-installed software on each device runs through a series of rigorous security checks.