Cybersecurity risks continue to rise across regions and industries. The Wema Bank case in Nigeria and recent Turkish data breaches show that no organization is immune to insider threats or poor data protection practices.

Protecting a business from internal threats is no longer optional. It is a necessary part of every organization’s security and business strategy. A recent court case in Nigeria shows how damaging insider activity can be when the appropriate protection is missing.

Last week, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged an individual and his company for the alleged theft of ₦215 million, which is about 147,000 US dollars. But this is only part of a much bigger story. The events began months earlier inside the systems of Wema Bank Plc.

In March 2025, Wema Bank filed a lawsuit asking other financial institutions to return about ₦3 billion, or around 2 million US dollars. The lawsuit came after an operational failure in the bank’s systems on January 16, which allowed unauthorized transfers from customer accounts.

Investigators later found that some of the stolen money remained in Wema Bank’s accounts, while the rest had been sent to other banks. As the investigation continued, more details appeared. The total amount of stolen funds grew from ₦3 billion to ₦8 billion, or about 5.5 million US dollars.

Furthermore, 8 individuals were detained and charged for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses. One major moment is that 3 out of 8 persons were Wema Bank employees.

The final list of charges includes conspiracy, stealing, unauthorized access to a computer system, and impersonation. One of the alleged individuals pleaded guilty and was sentenced in July 2025, while others pleaded not guilty. Thus, the trial is still ongoing.

This incident highlights that it is impossible to build a robust security posture without measures against internal threats. Employees have legitimate access to the business system and are familiar with implemented security measures. Some of the workers have privileged rights and can be involved in illegal activities. There are cases when an employee revenged a company after discharge. In the case of Wema Bank Plc., bank employees were driven by financial motivation.

SearchInform offers a comprehensive platform for mitigating internal threats. It monitors user activity, detects suspicious behavior, and immediately alerts the security team. SearchInform’s Next-Gen DLP solution, Risk Monitor, identifies credential sharing, provides clear evidence to pinpoint individuals who have illegally accessed internal systems, and blocks attempts to share confidential information, protecting organizations from corporate fraud.

You can learn more about the capabilities of our Next-Gen DLP system here.

The Turkish data protection authority, KVKK, published two notifications about data breaches, as data leaks affected two foreign companies. The first one, Cleverbridge GmbH, provider of IT services, notified the Turkish regulator about the security incident. Unauthorized access to the company's customer database was gained via API, allowing criminals to steal records on 1,235 active and potential customers. The list includes the following data:

• Name
• Contact details
• Credit card information (partial number, expiration date).

The second incident affected Sinch AB, a provider of business communication solutions. Criminals gained unauthorized access to the company database. The number of affected individuals is 716. Investigation is still ongoing. According to the official statement, criminals exfiltrated the following records:

• Name
• Contact details (email and physical address)
• Credit card details (last four digits, expiration date, and card type).

Both incidents exposed confidential data. Malicious actors could use stolen records to conduct further phishing attacks, fraudulent activities, and identity theft. These data leaks clearly show why it is essential to include a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) system as part of an organization’s security architecture.

One may ask, what is a DLP system? The SearchInform team has a clear answer.

Risk Monitor, our next-generation Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution, helps prevent both accidental and intentional data leaks. It detects cases of corporate fraud and improves the efficiency of business operations. The system classifies confidential files, manages employee access to sensitive information, and provides proactive protection through watermarking tools.

The DLP system by SearchInform brings together a full set of information security tools within a single platform. This not only reduces the workload for security specialists but also improves their effectiveness. Data discovery, confidentiality labeling, monitoring of business communication channels, and visibility into business processes—all are integrated into one cohesive solution.

Learn how Risk Monitor protects your organization by preventing data breaches and internal threats.