Featuring research, analysis, and findings across the three countries
on the evolving cyber security threats present in Africa, the report
shows that cyberattacks against all large enterprises ramped up
dramatically_
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 29, 2023/ — Liquid C2, a business of
Liquid Intelligent Technologies (https://www.Liquid.Tech [4]), a
pan-African technology group, has revealed that the number of
cyberattacks on businesses in Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia increased
by 76%. This is according to the latest cyber security report – ‘_The
Evolving Cyber Security Landscape in Africa 2022′
(https://apo-opa.info/3XLnJ9T [5])_.
_Download document (1):_ https://apo-opa.info/3JyRt3G [6]
_Download document (2):_ https://apo-opa.info/3CTuMUa [7]
_Download document (3):_ https://apo-opa.info/3CVfezj [8]
Featuring research, analysis, and findings across the three countries on
the evolving cyber security threats present in Africa, the report shows
that cyberattacks against all large enterprises ramped up dramatically.
Kenyan businesses reported an 82% increase in such attacks, while South
African businesses recorded a 62% increase, and Zambian businesses a 62%
increase.
“The biggest concern emerging from this report is that companies are
saying that they’ve put a lot more cyber security controls in place.
With threats evolving faster than security systems, companies cannot
afford to get complacent,” says David Behr, CEO of Liquid C2. “The
report highlights that businesses must be consistently vigilant about
the ever-evolving cybercrime landscape and the methods malicious actors
use to breach cyber security measures. As the report shows, complacency
is a luxury no one can afford.”
There are reasons to be optimistic; all the respondents in the report
highlighted that they had advanced significantly in their cloud and
digital strategies and cyber security capabilities. Furthermore, the
majority (68%) of the companies interviewed in the research said they
had appointed cyber security staff members or signed up with a cyber
security team in the past year. Kenya had the highest percentage at 82%,
followed by South Africa (63%) and Zambia (62%).
Yet, as Behr says, “This could prove a double-edged sword. The research
highlights that over half of all large enterprises in the three
countries were victims of a successful cyberattack, with 90% of them
being Kenyan businesses. Increasingly sophisticated methods like
Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) are becoming more popular in Africa,
meaning businesses can no longer rely on outdated technologies and
processes. It is time they invested in a partner that provides 24/7/365
protection, rapid response, threat intelligence and prevention,
compliance and improved business reputation, all designed to cater to
the specific needs of businesses.
The top method of attack used by cybercriminals targeting companies was
through email, using Phishing or Spam attacks (61%), with attacks
through compromised passwords following at 48% and data breaches and
attacks (44%) being the second and third most common. Furthermore, 61%
of the companies included in the research said that the breaches to
their operations occurred as a result of remote or hybrid working.
One of the most concerning revelations in the report is that Africa
faces a growing 100,000-person gap in the number of certified cyber
security professionals. Reports estimate that there are only 7,000
certified cyber security professionals, or one for every 177,000 people
on the continent. However, this number may disguise the true magnitude
of the problem as there is no readily available data on the level of
investment made by African governments into cyber security.
The report underlines the increasing need for companies to invest in
cyber security measures to avoid reputational damage, financial loss,
and potential business interruptions. Additionally, it reinforces how
vital it is for organisations to collaborate with trusted third-party
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) to implement and refine
their cyber security strategies.
