Kenya leads Africa charge against cyber crime

by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – KENYA, Nigeria and Ghana, in that order, are leading the charge in cyber security readiness in the continent.

This is according to the 2024 Security Culture Report for Africa, KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform.

The report offers a five-year comparative view, highlighting significant trends shaping the cyber security landscape.

In its section on Africa, the report reveals that organisations evaluated across 20 African countries exhibit an average security culture score of 72, consistent with the previous year.

“This shows a moderate level of readiness in security culture,” said Anna Collard, Senior Vice President of Content Strategy and “Evangelist” for KnowBe4 Africa.

While the continent’s average score is 72, Kenya scored 76, Nigeria 75 and Ghana 74. The banking sector in Kenya is a standout performer, boasting an impressive average score of 83, attributed to its steadfast commitment to maintaining mature security cultures supported by robust security operations.

“With a security culture score of 72, it is important to address the findings from a separate survey on generative AI (GenAI) adoption by organisations in South Africa,” Collard added.

That survey identified regulatory gaps and a lack of training in countering AI-generated misinformation, highlighting the need for regulations, training programmes, and partnerships to tackle cyber threats such as deepfakes, especially during the upcoming governmental elections.

The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) expects an increase in cyber attacks targeting important infrastructure and government bodies in the coming weeks until South Africans go to the polls.

“This highlights the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect public and private sectors, communities, and national economies,” Collard said.

Meanwhile, Asia, Europe and North America polled 73 in the report. Australia and South America had 71.

– CAJ News