cybersecurity
6 Cybersecurity Threats to Watch Out for in 2021
Sourced from IDG Connect In 2020, there were many rapid changes on a global scale as organizations across the world attempted to adapt to a new normal caused by the pandemic. Amid this shift, there were significant developments seen across the cyberthreat landscape. As we near the end of 2020, here’s a closer look at six cybersecurity threats – from HP – to keep in minds going into 2021 and beyond: 1. Weakened organizational security will lead to more unintentional insider threats Home devices will be under increased pressure and we must expect home infrastructure will be targeted. The scale at which we operate from home increases the incentive for attackers to go after consumer IoT devices and pivot to business devices on the same networks. 2. Human-operated ransomware attacks will remain...
Cybersecurity will Remain a Priority Despite Reduced IT Budgets, Research Shows
Cybersecurity remains a priority for investment among businesses, according to a Kaspersky report. Its share of IT spending has grown from 23% in 2019 to 26% in 2020 for SMBs, and from 26% to 29% for enterprises. 71% of organisations also expect their cybersecurity budget to grow further in the next three years. This is despite overall IT budgets decreasing in both segments amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and cybersecurity cuts affecting the most economically hit SMBs. External conditions and events can influence IT priorities for businesses. As a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, organisations have had to adjust plans to meet changing business needs – from emergency digitalisation to cost optimisation. The Kaspersky report, based on a survey of more than 5,000 IT and cybersecurity practitioner...
U.S. treasury, others under cyberattacks by hackers
The U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments, alongside other government agencies have been targeted by hackers, several media reports indicated on Sunday. National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told dpa “the U.S. government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and address potential issues related to this situation.” The Department of Commerce confirmed to CNN that hackers had overcome protective measures in one of its offices. The Washington Post reported hackers with ties to Russian intelligence agency SVR were responsible for the attacks on the Treasury and Commerce departments as well as other U.S. agencies. It was unclear what information had been captured, according to the report, which also said the FBI had been brought in to investigate...
3 Cybersecurity Trends for 2021
Sourced from International IDEA In 2020, there were many rapid changes on a global scale as organizations across the world attempted to adapt to a new normal caused by the pandemic. Amid this shift, there were significant developments seen across the cyberthreat landscape. Going into 2021 and beyond, we face another significant shift with the rise of new intelligent edges, which is about more than just end-users and devices remotely connecting to the network. The intelligent edge is a target Over the past few years, the traditional network perimeter has been replaced with multiple edge environments, WAN, multi-cloud, data centre, remote worker, IoT, and more, each with its unique risks. One of the most significant advantages to cybercriminals in all of this is that while all of these edges...
CIBN urges banks to strengthen cyber-security
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has urged the banks to strengthen their cyber-security architecture in order to prevent attacks by fraudsters. President/Chairman of Council of the institute, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, made the call while delivering his remarks at the 2020 CIBN Fellowship Investiture in Lagos, at the weekend. The CIBN at its investiture formally conferred its honorary fellowship awards on 19 distinguished bankers in recognition of their contributions to the banking industry and the economy; 77 associates as elected Fellows while 105 senior management staff of banks and the academia became Honorary Senior Members of the institute at the event with the theme: ‘Financial Services in a post COVID 19 Environment: Strategic Imperative’. Some that were conferred with ...
How to Avoid Digital Fraud Over the Festive Season
With the festive season being synonymous with more transactions, especially as people typically have more money at this time of year, the greater the probability there is of fraud occurring. In fact, according to PwC’s Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey 2020, South Africa has the third-most incidents of economic crime in the world behind India and China. “This festive season, I believe that there will be an uptick in fraud unless South African consumers and businesses are more security conscious,” says Nicho Bouma, CIO at Pay@. “More people have been forced to enter the digital space this year, due to the COVID-19 crisis. With many being new to the digital experience, they can easily fall prey to schemesters.” To prevent consumers from becoming victims of cybercrime, he urges them to o...
8 Online Safety Tips for the Holiday Season
The holiday season is a bonanza for criminals who see multiple opportunities to catch unwary shoppers, particularly online. We’ve long been attracted to the convenience of online shopping, and the pandemic’s lockdowns have galvanised our enthusiasm. Global digital commerce has grown by 71%, according to Salesforce’s Global Shopping Index, and in South Africa, the Consumer Pulse survey found that 30% of people shopped online in June. Cybercriminals know this. So to prepare for the holidays, here are eight tips and tricks to look out for: 1. If it’s too good to be true: This is rule number one to avoid online scams. Criminals will try to lure you with something free, such as fake vouchers or discount offers, special offers on limited quantities of a sought-after product, or inducing you to p...
Is Africa a Goldmine of Cybersecurity Opportunities?
Sourced from IDG Connect Africa presents a wealth of opportunities for startups and innovators looking to address cybersecurity risk across the increasingly digitised continent – according to Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy & Evangelist for KnowBe4 Africa. Collard goes on to say that cybersecurity presents an incredible market opportunity in Africa, with the number of Internet users soaring and demand for IT security skills growing rapidly. “Security skills and services are in high demand everywhere. The number of African Internet users will double to one billion by 2022, and global cybersecurity spend will top $170.4 billion in 2022. At the same time, cybercrime is estimated to cost the global economy a total of $6 trillion by next year, and cybercriminals’ interest in Africa is...
Top 3 African Countries Hit by Mobile Fraud
Kenya, South Africa and Cameroon are said to be the top three hot spots for mobile fraudsters – according to cybersecurity company, Evina. These African countries face suspicious mobile-based billing transactions of 51%, 30% and 10%, respectively. “Africa’s youthful population that is mostly unbanked and using some 900 million mobile money accounts is particularly hard-hit by professional cybercriminals from around the world, who together cost Africa some $4 billion every year,” says David Lotfi, CEO of Evina. Fraudsters are impacting the long-term sustainability of the digital advertising and mobile payments industries, in particular, by perpetrating thousands of mobile-based fraud attempts daily. Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) where users are billed for purchases directly on their ph...
Internet of threats – cybersecurity measures in the IoT landscape
Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any object or device that is connected to the Internet. This rapidly expanding set of “things” – which capture, send and receive data – includes cars, appliances, smartwatches, lighting, home assistants, home security, and more. It’s predicted that by 2025, there will be 41.6 billion units of IoT connected devices worldwide. Internet-connected devices can make us more efficient, save time and money, and allow us connectivity from almost anywhere, but they also require that we share more information than ever. The security of this information, and the security of these devices, is not always guaranteed. Once a device connects to the Internet, it could be connecting to all sorts of risks. As the number of connected devices increases, especially as more peop...
7 Cybersecurity Precautions South Africans Should Take
Cybercriminals aren’t easy to detect and present a real risk to their victims. The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to be aware of the threats they pose and take every precaution you can to keep yourself safe. According to Giuseppe Virgillito, FNB Head of Digital Banking, the remote living and working requirements of lockdown have meant that most people are communicating digitally – and criminals often use this to their advantage to gain people’s trust in order to steal sensitive information, money or both. “Fraudsters are constantly looking for new ways to get to your information,” explains Virgillito, “and if customers or businesses let down their guard as a result of physical distancing and the need to transact or operate digitally, that unfortunately presents fraudsters with anot...
The State of Cybersecurity in Africa
Sourced from IDG Connect Modern technologies require a certain level of skills when it comes to accessing information. While most countries have strict laws about internet security, countries all across Africa are falling behind the rest of the world. The digital era has brought many new forms of communication. Sadly, some use technology to steal information and compromise entire state governments. Africa is currently one of the fastest developing areas globally, and it’s estimated that over 1 billion Africans will have internet access by the end of 2022. That puts many people in danger as cybersecurity laws are still waiting for confirmation across the continent. Let’s take a look at the current state of things in Africa. Trends in Cybercrime Many countries in Africa face enormous challen...
