Cybersecurity News Africa
The Current & Future State of Smart OT Security
Image sourced from Pixabay It’s no surprise that security and network professionals working in operational technology (OT) environments are eager to take advantage of the emerging capabilities of digital transformation. Adopting modern technologies like cloud computing, machine automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) across the industrial sector offers many potential benefits, ranging from streamlined processes that contribute to increased staff productivity to decreased plant downtime. However, a new report published by Smart Industry and sponsored by Fortinet explores the challenges these decision makers face when balancing the acceleration of their digital transformation efforts with the creation and maintenance of a strong security program. The report...
Sophos Announces Sophos X-Ops
Image sourced from Australian Reseller News. Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, today announced Sophos X-Ops, a new cross-operational unit linking SophosLabs, Sophos SecOps and Sophos AI, three established teams of cybersecurity experts at Sophos, to help organizations better defend against constantly changing and increasingly complex cyberattacks. Sophos X-Ops leverages the predictive, real-time, real-world, and deeply researched threat intelligence from each group, which, in turn, collaborate to deliver stronger, more innovative protection, detection and response capabilities. Sophos today is also issuing “OODA: Sophos X-Ops Takes on Burgeoning SQL Server Attacks,” research about increased attacks against unpatched Microsoft SQL servers and how attackers used a fak...
ID Cards, Home Addresses of Nigerians Exposed in Huge Alleged Government Security Failure
An ID card allegedly exposed as part of PLASCHEMA’s unsecure data buckets. A new report from the cyber-security team of online resource supplier Website Planet indicates that a huge alleged security fault at Nigerian government healthcare organisation PLASCHEMA (Plateau State Contributory Health Care Management Agency) has exposed over 45GBs of personal data, over 75,000 files, from an estimated 37,000 people. The massive oversight, according to Website Planet’s team, has left information such as ID cards – including full names, dates of birth, occupations, blood groups and even personal addresses, parents’ full names and registration details – birth certificates, personal photographs, identification for government officials and more, in the open online with no protection. An applica...
How a Career in Cybersecurity Can Secure Your Future
Nash Lewis. According to a salary and hiring report by the professional recruitment group, Michael Page, cybersecurity is one of the top in-demand technology jobs in South Africa. Cybersecurity is an issue of critical importance and companies are prioritising hiring talent with the expertise of putting safeguarding measures in place. In response to this, the Banking Sector Education and Training Authority has developed new occupational qualifications to address the growing need for formal qualifications related to cybersecurity in South Africa. Interest in cybersecurity understandably follows increased demand for advanced technology by customers, especially within the fintech sector. With more customers conducting online transactions, the risk for potential cyber-attacks has rapidly increa...
Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Organizations Increased 94%, According to Sophos
Image sourced from Alpine Security. Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has published a new sectoral survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022.” The findings reveal a 94% increase in ransomware attacks on the organizations surveyed in this sector. In 2021, 66% of healthcare organizations were hit; 34% were hit the previous year. The silver lining, however, is that healthcare organizations are getting better at dealing with the aftermath of ransomware attacks, according to the survey data. The report shows that 99% of those healthcare organizations hit by ransomware got at least some their data back after cybercriminals encrypted it during the attacks. Additional ransomware findings for the healthcare sector include: Healthcare organizations had the se...
The Importance of Training in Managing a Cybersecurity Skills Shortage
According to a report released by Ireland-based multinational professional services company Accenture, a low investment in cyber security, and immature cybercrime legislation, makes South Africa a target for cybercrime, with the country registering the third-highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide. In addition, as with other countries, the cybersecurity skills shortage is hindering the ability of businesses to effectively manage and stay ahead of constantly-evolving cyberthreats. The lack of skills means businesses find themselves on the back foot, looking for individuals who are able to manage and run solutions, manage incident and security teams, and having to ensure the implementation of a strong security posture. This is not isolated to a single partner or end-user o...
The Most Vulnerable IoT Devices: Think Before You Buy This Black Friday
With the shopping season approaching, it’s likely that internet-connected gadgets and toys will be a popular item on many users’ wish lists, as more than 88% of people use IoT (Internet of Things) devices in their households. However, cybersecurity experts warn: Internet of Things devices can quickly go from fun to creepy, depending on how hackable they are. “Enormous Black Friday discounts can rush customers into buying some very questionable gadgets. However, Internet of Things devices is widely known among experts for low-security measures they usually have installed. There is a joke going around: ‘The S in IoT stands for security’. So, it’s best to think before bringing any new IoT device to your household, as it can easily compromise the whole network,” says digital security expert at...
How Microsoft Was Able to Thwart the Largest DDoS Attack Ever
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FirstNet Technology Services Broadens its Security Offering with EDR Solution from Fortinet
Image by Darwin Laganzon, Pixabay. FirstNet Technology Services, a First Technology Group company, has broadened its security portfolio offering to include endpoint detection and response (EDR). As a long-time Fortinet partner, FortiEDR was the natural choice. This is according to Dave Campbell, Product Manager: Cloud Services at FirstNet, who explains, “FirstNet holds an Advanced Level partner status with Fortinet. Our cloud and security services are underpinned by a range of Fortinet products, with the use of solutions including FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiEDR, and FortiToken, which makes the FirstNet and Fortinet partnership a compelling offer for our customers.” “This experience has made us one of the top Fortinet partners in South Africa with a wealth of technical and...
South Africa Sees 42% Increase in Financial Malware in First Half of 2021
Sourced from Tech Advisor A combination of increasingly sophisticated propagation technologies and continued economic uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have seen the number of financial malware attacks reported in South Africa during the first half of 2021 increase by more than 10,400 over the comparative period last year, according to Kaspersky research. “Of these attacks, 24% targeted corporate users. This makes financial malware attacks a significant cybersecurity risk facing the local market today across both the consumer and business sectors,” says Bethwel Opil, Enterprise Sales Manager at Kaspersky in Africa. Remote Work Leads to Security Lapses Local organisations have become susceptible to financial malware as more employees work outside the relative safety of the ...
