The seventh annual East Africa Cyber Defense Conference scheduled to take place on September will be hosted by Uganda. The event seeks to focus on ways to curb cyber attacks that have crippled economies. The host nation lost close to $42 million in 2017 due to this mischief. The East African region has addressed the matter especially in the digital era where technology and innovation are evolving.
Kenya was ranked third best in fighting cybercrime in Africa last year, falling short behind Rwanda and Mauritius. This year Tanzania joined its neighbour in the countries experiencing the most cyber-espionage attack termed ‘Slingshot’. Somalia and Sudan were other African countries affected by the insecurity. The threat causes malfunctioning in computers which is beneficial though to the attackers.
Hundreds of millions of cyber attacks take place on a yearly basis in Africa, with the continent losing close to $3.5 billion to cybercrime in 2018. This affects close to 90% of African businesses and is a growing concern for any government. Information Technology (IT) experts have been urged to find solutions to avoid delays and loss of money for businesses. Financial institutions such as SACCOs are the prime target of the hackers.
Last year the cyber crimes had shot up by 20 per cent and could grow even further if measures are not undertaken. The Ransomware menace has not convinced so many companies to set aside lump sum amount of money to invest in cyber defences. The September conference is, however, looking to change the perspective of entrepreneurs and firms into considering their decisions.
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Lack of proper investment in protective technologies has led to an increase in cyber attack globally as well. China and the United States are avidly affected by cyber crimes due to high technology improvement.
