Cybersecurity news
Sophos Acquires SOC.OS to Bolster its Cloud Security Offerings
Image sourced from Australian Reseller News. Sophos, the global cybersecurity firm, today announced that it has acquired SOC.OS, an innovator of a cloud-based security alert investigation and triage automation solution. SOC.OS consolidates and prioritizes high volumes of security alerts from multiple products and platforms across an organization’s estate, allowing security operations teams to quickly understand and respond to the most urgent cases flagged. The solution launched in 2020 and is a spinout of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. The company is privately held and based in Milton Keynes, U.K. Sophos Bolsters its Cybersecurity Offerings with SOC.OS With SOC.OS, Sophos plans to advance its Managed Threat Response (MTR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions for organizat...
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...
5 Advantages to Cloud Computing Security for Your Business
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced numerous businesses to adapt to remote working. The trend does not just affect huge companies but small businesses too. To support a successful transition to remote working, it is important to have the right tools in place. “As more businesses shift to cloud-based services, it is vital that companies protect their applications and data from cybercriminals,” says Riaan de Villiers, Business Analyst at LAWtrust Information Security. A 2019 MyBroadband report examined the South African cloud market and business use of cloud services. According to the study, 71% of companies back up their data to the cloud, making cloud computing security-critical for ensuring high levels of security and preventing data breaches. Cloud computing security ensures that company da...
Massive Increase in DDoS Attacks Observed – Record Numbers Reached
Image sourced from Shutterstock. Compared to Q3 2021, the total number of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in Q4 shows an increase of 52%. This is 4.5 times more than the same time the previous year. These and other findings were published in the new Kaspersky DDoS attacks in Q4 2021 report. What are DDoS Attacks? Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks pose a huge threat to businesses and organisations that provide online services. During such an attack, cybercriminals send multiple requests to the attacked web resource with the aim of exceeding the website’s capacity to handle multiple requests and prevent the website from functioning correctly. These attacks may last several days, causing huge disruptions for organisations. From October to the end of December 2021, Kasp...
Mobile Malware Attacks Across Africa are on the Decline – Why It Isn’t a Good Thing
Image sourced from Sectigo. While analysing the threat landscape of African countries, Kaspersky experts saw a steady decline in attacks on mobile devices in the region, as cybercriminals consolidated their efforts to focus on more complicated, dangerous and profitable threats instead. These and other findings are featured in Kaspersky’s Mobile Threats in 2021 report. Overall, in 2021, South African users faced 38% less mobile malware attacks than in 2020, while other countries in the region have seen even more dramatic changes of their mobile threat landscape: Mozambique saw a 48% decrease, followed by Botswana (58%), Nigeria (59%), Ethiopia (69%) and Ghana (76%). The only countries where the share of attacks increased was Angola, where mobile malware actually grew by 12%. “Indeed, there ...
Effective Data Backup Becomes Essential as Kenya is Rocked by Ransomware
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime, in particular, ransomware, has seen a massive increase across the globe. As a burgeoning economy in Africa, Kenya has become a growing target, with a new report from internet security group Kaspersky recording 32.8 million attacks in the first half of 2021. According to INTERPOL, increasing digital demand in the country, coupled with “a lack of cybersecurity policies and standards, exposes online services to major risks”. As digital transformation continues to gain traction in Kenya, data becomes increasingly important for business, and it needs to be effectively protected. Effective data backup and recovery are key to overcoming the potential threat of a ransomware attack. Connected, but vulnerable In Kenya, as in much of the world, the pa...
The State of Cyber Extortion Crime in South Africa
Sourced from Kaspersky The KnowBe4 and ITWeb Ransomware Survey took a deep look into the South African organisation, finding that ransomware and cybercrime are increasingly impacting organisations on the continent. While many companies (32%) were attacked in 2021, some multiple times (12%), 64% of organisations believe they are prepared, and 67% would not pay the ransom. According to Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, the South African market with its growing economy and cyber dependence, is becoming increasingly tasty as a cyber extortion snack. Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. “It is natural for cybercriminal organisations to look at emerging economies for future attacks, as they are often not as prepared as the re...
How to Protect Yourself from Gift Card Scams This Holiday Season
Image sourced from NorthJersey.com This holiday season checking off that gift list will look a little different than in past years. Many shoppers are planning to rely on e-commerce for a significant amount of their holiday shopping. Digital gift card sales are also likely to increase. However, given the spike in digital activity predicted over the holidays, cybercriminals, too, will be making their lists and checking them twice. It’s a particularly risky time of the year as shoppers of all ages (including some with less experience recognising digital threats) flock to search engines and online channels to place orders before holiday delivery date cutoffs. And opportunistic hackers know just how to create enticing, seasonally-appropriate lures—and even some of the simplest scams c...
Altron Security Appoints New Managing Director
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How Remote Work Makes Financial Insider Threats A Bigger Challenge
Image sourced from Finance Times. Now more than ever, insider threats pose a serious risk to financial institutions, especially those that have transitioned to alternate work environments to ensure business continuity, warns Fortinet. Fortinet’s 2020 Securing Remote Work Survey revealed that the shift to remote work was putting pressure on security teams and increasing the risk of breaches. In South Africa, studies have found that remote and hybrid models are here to stay, meaning organisations must make insider risk a priority, says Doros Hadjizenonos, Regional Sales Manager at Fortinet. With a 47% increase in just two years, insider threats are a significant and growing problem worldwide, exacerbated by the move to remote and hybrid work models. No organisation is immune to the...
Deal or No Deal? 7 Quick Tips to Safely Shop Online This Black Friday 2021
Image sourced from The South African. “Gucci bags 80% off!” screams the email that lands in your inbox on Black Friday. It seems like an impossibly large discount, but you open the email anyway – just to check if it seems legitimate. And it does – it’s professionally compiled, there are no spelling errors, and the logos and merchandise all look like the real deal. So, you click on the link provided. And you shop. Only to see a string of fraudulent charges on your next bank statement. Black Friday is a lucrative day not only for retailers, but also for cyber criminals. In 2019, the use of retail phishing URLs jumped by 275% the week before Black Friday. Here are 7 questions to ask yourself before going on an online spending spree this Black Friday? Is my security up to date? Though many peo...
Beware These Fake Digital Vaccine Passports Being Sold Online in SA
Image sourced from Media24. Nearly two years into the battle against COVID-19 over 3 billion people around the globe and over 15 million in South Africa are now fully vaccinated. “As governments continue their efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and encourage vaccination, the scene has been set for phishing scams targeting those who are unwilling to get vaccinated, but who still want the benefits available to those who have been vaccinated”, says Doros Hadjizenonos, Regional Sales Manager at Fortinet. Vaccination cards and passes are increasingly being required to give people access to travel, events and even to their workplaces globally. South Africa, in the early stages of rolling out a vaccine passport, is considering making the digital certificate mandatory for access to venues and ...
