A Kaspersky Security Network described cyber security trends in Africa for the first quarter of 2018, the continent revealed a general increase in infections from local threats (spread of malware on local networks, via USBs, CDs, DVDs) with Kenya first with 61,8% of its infected users, followed by 58,6 % in Nigeria and 55,6% in Egypt.
Kaspersky Lab conducted an annual cyber security panel for the Middle East and Africa in Istanbul, Turkey, to explore the evolving threat landscape and find out what approaches companies need to take to survive. Experts from Kaspersky Lab's Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) and guest experts discussed several topics, including IoT security, blockchain technology and the increase in targeted attacks, as well as threats directed at the medical infrastructure.
Statistics for the same time period also showed a noticeable overall increase in web threats, with 28,8% of users affected by malware in Egypt. On the other hand, South Africa had the lowest number of users affected in the META region (48,8% for local threats and 19,6% for web).
Future technologies have also been focused on Cyber Security Weekend this year. A panel of Kaspersky Lab experts and special guests from Turkey and the UAE spoke about how blockchain affects the way people live and work today.
Mohammad Amin Hasbini, a senior security and analysis researcher at Kaspersky Lab, said that there was an increase of 8,5% in the ransomware attacks in some African countries in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of last year, a number that did not surprising, judging by the infamous success of the major ransomware attacks last year.
Kaspersky lab experts advise that organizations that face a wide range of cyber threats from outside and inside, they should take a holistic approach to cybersecurity that combines an effective IT security solution, education and security policies of employees understood and followed by employees.
