APA-Lusaka (Zambia) As Africa undergoes rapid digital transformation, the adoption of cloud and other digital technologies by businesses on the continent is exposing them to a growing risk of cyberattacks, according to a report released by pan-African technology group Liquid Intelligent Technologies on Friday.
Africa is currently experiencing a digital transformation boom, with more businesses adopting cloud and digital technologies to enhance their productivity, efficiency, and innovation.
However, in a new report titled “The Evolving Cyber Security Landscape in Africa 2022”, Liquid Intelligent Technologies subsidiary Liquid C2 warned that the rapid transformation could prove to be a double-edged sword as it also exposed African businesses to cyberattacks that could cause severe damage to their reputation, finances and operations.
According to the report, the number of cyberattacks on businesses in Kenya, South Africa and Zambia increased by 76 percent in 2022.
It revealed that cyberattacks against large enterprises ramped up dramatically during 2022, with Kenyan businesses reporting an 82 percent increase in such attacks, while South African businesses recorded a 62 percent spike and Zambian businesses a 62 percent increase.
The report warned that cyber threats are evolving faster than security measures and that African businesses could not afford to be complacent.
“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,” Liquid C2 chief executive David Behr said.
He added: “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.”
The report highlighted the main methods and motives of the cybercriminals targeting African businesses.
The top method of attack used by cybercriminals was through email, using phishing or spam attacks, which accounted for 61 percent of cases.
This was followed by attacks through compromised passwords (48 percent of cases) and data breaches (44 percent).
The report also cited the most common motives for cyberattacks as financial gain, which accounted for 67 percent of cases in 2022, followed by espionage (22 percent) and sabotage (11 percent).
The report also revealed a looming shortage of certified cybersecurity professionals across Africa, noting that despite many companies having hired or partnered with cybersecurity teams in the past year, the continent still faces a 100,000-person gap in accredited cybersecurity professionals.
This indicates a need for more investment in cybersecurity education and training to build the capacity and skills of the African workforce.
The report concludes with some recommendations for businesses to improve their cybersecurity posture and resilience.
These include conducting regular risk assessments and audits, implementing multi-layered security solutions and policies, raising awareness and training among employees and customers, and partnering with reliable cybersecurity providers that offer all-year protection, rapid response, and threat intelligence.
JN/APA