ADF STAFF
The rapid expansion of digital technology in recent years has left millions of Africans vulnerable to cybercriminals seeking to scam them, their companies, and even their governments out of money and personal information.
The problem is so pervasive that, according to some estimates, such crimes can cost African countries up to 10% of their gross domestic product each year.
“Cyber threats are more sophisticated and complex than ever and evolving quickly with new technology like AI [artificial intelligence] becoming increasingly advanced every day,” Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of South African cybersecurity company KnowBe4, wrote recently for the online publication ITWeb.
Looking ahead, Sjouwerman urges African businesses and government leaders to focus on strengthening what he calls the “human firewall” by educating computer and mobile phone users about the risks they face from online fraud. The techniques used include phishing — sending authentic-seeming emails or links that can trick an unsuspecting recipient into unintentionally breaching a computer system’s security.
Investing in the human firewall is crucial because African nations are facing a severe shortfall of trained cybersecurity experts. Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report shows that the demand for cybersecurity skills has grown by an average of 36% over the past year in South Africa alone.
“This gaping hole in skills shortage is not going to be filled any time soon, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks,” Sjouwerman wrote.
The same report identifies China, North Korea and Russia as major sources of global cybersecurity threats. However, national governments are not the only source of online attacks.
Transnational criminal networks use rogue programmers to create malware that invades computer systems. So-called cybercrime-as-a-service operators can help malicious actors hold water and power systems hostage or rob telecommunications companies of their lucrative trove of customers’ personal data.
African countries vary greatly in the severity of cybersecurity threats they face. Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa routinely rank among the African countries experiencing the highest number of online attacks.