Security
Update Your Security Strategy Based on Key Information Learned About Threat Actors, Advises Netskope
The reality of the cyber threats posed today is that many threat actors are not rogue operators acting on their own but are, instead, working as part of sophisticated and organised groups, collaborating with other groups within a wider ecosystem of specialists. These groups build significant financial resources over time, derived from the proceeds of commercially-driven attacks, or gathered as payment from states sponsoring or directly commissioning their activities. This is according to Yaroslav Rosomakho, Field CTO of Netskope, a global cybersecurity leader which is redefining cloud, data, and network security to help organisations apply Zero Trust principles to protect data. He explains: “Threat actors use these resources to improve their subsequent attacks, paying for infrastructure or...
3 Tips to Improve User Experience & Security of African Apps
Entersekt’s Tochukwu Iwuora. Financial institutions are increasingly relying on apps and their turbo-charged cousins, super apps, for much-needed revenue growth. Organisations that can offer a secure, low-friction app experience are more likely to migrate existing customers to digital channels, attract new customers, and lower operational costs, giving them a much-needed competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive market. Africa is one of the fastest-growing app markets in the world, with Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa showing particularly high growth since the Covid pandemic. With rapid urbanisation, a big improvement in connectivity as well as the fact that smartphone connections in Africa are expected to double by 2025, reaching 678 million, it is reasonable to expect t...
Kaspersky Scoops Award for Best VPN Security
Image sourced from Pixabay. Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection was awarded among the best VPNs for streaming, gaming and torrenting for private users by AV-TEST, the independent IT security institute. Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection was praised for its speed ratings and beat leading global competitors in VPN transparency ratings. Virtual private networks (VPNs) have multiple uses including anonymous surfing, secure downloads, messaging, as well as providing access to local content on streaming platforms. They’ve also become a necessary feature for gamers, allowing them to tune their ping when gaming and providing uninterrupted gameplay. This is an important aspect of VPNs as the gaming industry is rapidly growing with a current value of over $300 billion and a continuously expa...
Ransomware Attacks: 4 Steps to Protect Your Data
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and the pay-out for a successful breach is growing as data becomes more and more valuable. The potential of falling victim to ransomware is escalating, and such an occurrence could end up costing billions in downtime and recovery. As we become more firmly entrenched in the cloud, it is imperative to evaluate not only the measures that have been put into place to prevent an attack but also the tools and protocols that have been implemented to help a business recover. Given the current economic climate and threat landscape, a successful ransomware attack is a strong possibility – is your backup strategy in a position to help or hinder the recovery? A proactive strategy for data One thing that has become clear is that businesses need a strategy, and a less ...
Ransomware Attacks: 4 Steps to Protect Your Data
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and the pay-out for a successful breach is growing as data becomes more and more valuable. The potential of falling victim to ransomware is escalating, and such an occurrence could end up costing billions in downtime and recovery. As we become more firmly entrenched in the cloud, it is imperative to evaluate not only the measures that have been put into place to prevent an attack but also the tools and protocols that have been implemented to help a business recover. Given the current economic climate and threat landscape, a successful ransomware attack is a strong possibility – is your backup strategy in a position to help or hinder the recovery? A proactive strategy for data One thing that has become clear is that businesses need a strategy, and a less ...
Are Phishing Attacks Targeting Crypto on the Rise?
Image sourced from Shutterstock. Experts at Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky have taken a close look at the phishing pages aimed at potential crypto investors as well as the malicious files that are distributed under the names of the 20 most popular cryptocurrency wallets. Since the beginning of 2022, Kaspersky products detected and prevented almost 200,000 attempts to steal users’ digital currencies and credentials to their wallets via phishing, according to the company. The number of such attempts almost reached 50,000 in April, which is half of the indicators for the first quarter of 2022. Crypto wallets are the primary target for scamming and malicious activity. With the boom in digital currencies observed over the past five years, Kaspersky has seen various new cybercriminal ta...
How Uber & AURA Work Together to Enhance Safety
Image sourced from intelligenttransport.com Ride-hailing services, such as Uber, are transforming the way we move around. A few clicks on a smartphone can have you on your way in no time, meeting the modern consumer’s need for on-demand, accessible and convenient services. According to a recent report by Genesis Analytics and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), data from the South African Police Services shows that carjacking incidents have increased across the country over the past three years (2018 – 2020), jumping by a 10% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Uber collaborated with AURA in 2018. AURA is South Africa’s security and medical response platform which currently has more than 250,000 active users. The collaboration provides drivers and riders on the Uber platform acc...
The Great Phishing Fail
Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. In 2021, phishing attacks increased by 7.3% according to the ESET Threat Report, and the Cisco 2021 Cybersecurity threat trends report revealed that around 86% of organisations had at least one person click a phishing link. This echoes the findings of recent KnowBe4 Security Awareness Research that found people keep clicking – on fake emails from HR, the business and IT. As Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, points out, the majority of top email categories that people fall for are those that fit in to everyday life – invoices, purchase orders, shared files, and COVID-19 related topics. “As our quarterly report on the top-clicked phishing tests shows, the emails that catch people are t...
Crypto privacy is in greater jeopardy than ever before — here’s why
Despite the latest technology, the world has yet to crack the code for privacy and security online. But that isn’t the only big problem we need to worry about. Hackers and robbers are tricking innocent users into giving up their private information as society becomes increasingly digital — and virtual currencies have a role in all of this. Cryptocurrencies smashed records in 2022, with the market topping $2 trillion for the first time ever. And while this has been greeted with excitement by current investors, it’s made others more wary. Why? Because as the asset class grows, it becomes more appealing to malicious actors. And for evidence of this, you only need to look at the growing number of users being targets of cryptocurrency robberies. The big question is this: if these cr...
3 Things to Consider When Deploying Data Protection for Your Small Business
Small businesses are the backbone of every growing economy, bringing growth and innovation to the communities in which they are established. However, these businesses are often vulnerable when conforming to the new standards of remote work. Today, one of the greatest threats to small businesses is a cyberattack. According to the Wall Street Journal, companies with less than $10 million in annual revenue are less likely to be prepared for cyberattacks. Fireeye also reports that while 77% of all cybercrimes are directed toward small businesses, only 42% of small business owners are concerned with cyber security. The National Small Business Association reports that as many as 60% of small businesses will fail within six months of experiencing a significant cyber breach. These findings clearly...
How the Russia-Ukraine War Could Affect Cybercrime
Image sourced from Packetlabs. Russia’s war on Ukraine and its increasingly isolated internet environment could drive Russian cybercriminals to think outside the box and launch new forms of cyber attacks. This is according to Nclose’s Co-Founder & Technical Director, Martin Potgieter, who says speculation and concern is mounting around the world, over what Russia’s cyber crime syndicates’ next moves will be. “Currently, the cybercrime focus appears to be predominantly between Russia and Ukraine cybercrime groups and governments. While this is strictly speaking cyber warfare, it could quickly spread elsewhere. “What we are seeing is that a few of these cybercrime groups are either taking sides or imploding amongst themselves due to their Eastern European links with one another,” says Po...
How to Avoid Privacy Risks from Third-party Automotive Apps
Image sourced from Pixabay. Mobile applications for connected cars provide various features to make life easier for motorists, but they can also be a source of risk. Kaspersky experts have analysed 69 popular third-party mobile applications designed to control connected cars and defined the main threats drivers may face while using them. They found out that more than half (58%) of these applications use the vehicle owners’ credentials without asking for their consent. On top of this, one in five of the applications have no contact information, which makes it impossible to report a problem. These and other findings are published in the new Kaspersky Connected Apps report. Connected automotive applications provide a wide range of functions to make drivers’ lives easier. For example, the...
