Common Cyber Threats In Africa And Possible Solution
Common Cyber Threats In Africa And Possible Solution
This isn't the first time you will read a blog post about the impact of technology in Africa.
Think back to decades ago when communication was a pain-starking process, transportation a workload, not to mention the agricultural sector which needed a form of invention to thrive.
Fast forward to 2020 and information is available at the snap of ones fingers. You can transport goods as well as services within the twinkle of an eye. All points to one thing - improved performance as well as productivity.
However, for all the goodies technology has brought, there have been a few challenges. From research, it's said that 7 out of every 10 adults in Africa are exposed to several forms of cyber threats. This includes stolen identity, fraud as well as spam.
In this post, we explore the most common cyber threats in Africa as well as possible measures to ensure you don't fall victim.
Fraud
If the numbers are true, over a hundred million of cyber threats take place in Africa. Banks, as well as government officials, are common targets.
The reason is that the digital economy has reached its peak in the last few years but the level of fraud in the industry has heightened as well.
To crown it all, three in every five Africans are exposed to one form of fraud to another.
Stolen Identity
Identity is gold and scammers know these. Over the years, most internet users have complained of receiving bank statements for transaction they never did, credit card for accounts they never opened. Or even worse, denied access to the account they have a clean clear credit record.
Also, there's a growing number of identity theft among social media users. From losing their accounts to strangers to those same strangers trying to defraud their friends.
Even worse, criminals who engage in this act do not rely on just mobile contacts, but also intercept official documents.
Hacking
Factors such as technological development and regional tourism have served as a catalyst for the growth of the African banking system.
Most banks in Africa if not all, rely heavily on digital technology. Unfortunately, little is done to protect their business from attacks as well as several cyber menaces.
Statistics indicates that 42 million shillings were lost to cyber threats in Uganda in 2017, the numbers are even more frightening in west African countries like Cameroon and Nigeria. Hackers have catalyzed on the weak security system put in place.
Considering the Money-making potential, they're attractive to Cyber-criminals.
How can this menace be curbed?
Africa obviously has a long way to go in curbing cyber menace. In the case of financial institutions, data are often scattered making it easier for hackers to penetrate.
It goes without saying that social media users should be sensitized on the kind of information shared on these interactive platforms.
Fortunately, most users are beginning to fish out when an account has been hacked especially if there's a change in communication style.
This isn't the first time you will read a blog post about the impact of technology in Africa.
Think back to decades ago when communication was a pain-starking process, transportation a workload, not to mention the agricultural sector which needed a form of invention to thrive.
Fast forward to 2020 and information is available at the snap of ones fingers. You can transport goods as well as services within the twinkle of an eye. All points to one thing - improved performance as well as productivity.
However, for all the goodies technology has brought, there have been a few challenges. From research, it's said that 7 out of every 10 adults in Africa are exposed to several forms of cyber threats. This includes stolen identity, fraud as well as spam.
In this post, we explore the most common cyber threats in Africa as well as possible measures to ensure you don't fall victim.
Fraud
If the numbers are true, over a hundred million of cyber threats take place in Africa. Banks, as well as government officials, are common targets.
The reason is that the digital economy has reached its peak in the last few years but the level of fraud in the industry has heightened as well.
To crown it all, three in every five Africans are exposed to one form of fraud to another.
Stolen Identity
Identity is gold and scammers know these. Over the years, most internet users have complained of receiving bank statements for transaction they never did, credit card for accounts they never opened. Or even worse, denied access to the account they have a clean clear credit record.
Also, there's a growing number of identity theft among social media users. From losing their accounts to strangers to those same strangers trying to defraud their friends.
Even worse, criminals who engage in this act do not rely on just mobile contacts, but also intercept official documents.
Hacking
Factors such as technological development and regional tourism have served as a catalyst for the growth of the African banking system.
Most banks in Africa if not all, rely heavily on digital technology. Unfortunately, little is done to protect their business from attacks as well as several cyber menaces.
Statistics indicates that 42 million shillings were lost to cyber threats in Uganda in 2017, the numbers are even more frightening in west African countries like Cameroon and Nigeria. Hackers have catalyzed on the weak security system put in place.
Considering the Money-making potential, they're attractive to Cyber-criminals.
How can this menace be curbed?
Africa obviously has a long way to go in curbing cyber menace. In the case of financial institutions, data are often scattered making it easier for hackers to penetrate.
It goes without saying that social media users should be sensitized on the kind of information shared on these interactive platforms.
Fortunately, most users are beginning to fish out when an account has been hacked especially if there's a change in communication style.
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