I just learned that Windows XP is still in use in Nigeria and that Federal employees can format hard drives and replace the licensed OS with pirated copies. Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows XP since April 8th, 2014. Meaning there will be no more security updates and technical support. The Nigerian Government needs to learn from what is going on around the world. Imagine if the #WannaCry attack that happened yesterday was targeted towards Nigeria.

Yesterday, malicious software known as WannaCry was used in a global cyberattack. It was reported that WannaCry ransomware attack affected approximately 200,000 computers in at least 99 countries — affecting major organizations like NHS in the UK, Telefonica in Spain, and FedEx in the US. You can read about the WannaCry attack in the news. The type of malware used in this attack is known as Ransomware. What is a Ransomware:

Most of us, if not all, of our vital life records (Financial records, academic records, transcripts, health records, birth certificates, pictures, etc.), are stored on our computers. Some of us even make the extra effort to digitize the records that only exist on paper. This means that having access to our computer gives access to our data. Therefore, our privacy means securing the data stored on our devices. In some situations, when we lose our computer, our primary concern is not losing the device itself.

Passwords! The key to almost everyone’s privacy. We are all wary and paranoid about how we handle our passwords, yet most of us don’t know how to implement and safeguard our passwords the right way. Because remembering passwords is a pain, most of us use a single password or two different passwords for almost every service we use. Do we have to store passwords in our brains? Do we have to remember each password?

Merriam-Webster defines ethics as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad, and with moral duty and obligation.” In this case, Computer Ethics is a set of principles that regulate the use of computers. Vast research relating to computer ethics has been carried out mostly in developed nations. However, due to the dynamics of technology usage, we continuously face challenges around what is considered proper usage of our electronic devices.