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Herald
Energy Mapakame business reporter
Zimbabwean firms are not immune to cybersecurity threats as the financial services sector faces a rise in cyberattacks following the adoption of digitalization spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, experts say has said.
In an interview, Wellington Makamure, Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Central Africa Region, revealed that as transactions become more cashless, so do cybersecurity threats.
Cases of card cloning, identity theft, data breaches, phishing, spam, and personal data exposure have been experienced, creating room for companies to invest more in plugging potential loopholes.
“As Zimbabwe moves towards a cashless society, the financial sector is facing an increase in cybercrime, including phishing and bank card duplication, both of which are on the rise.
“As more and more young people spend their time online, the conversation around data privacy and security on an individual level becomes more prominent, as evidenced by the occurrence of personal/personal data breaches,” he said. Told.
Beyond financial services, an estimated 82% of businesses say they’ve seen cybersecurity become more prevalent, with cybercriminals experiencing threats to exploit digital advancements to attack their digital infrastructure.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, as people are working from home, the use of multiple devices from different locations on different networks has exposed businesses to cybersecurity threats such as data breaches. I’m here.
The problem is not limited to Zimbabwe, but spreads throughout the region.
According to the Cyber Security Report 2021, which presents the threat landscape in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, malware, web application attacks, email phishing and spoofing, and identity theft were cited as the most common cyber security threats. It was theft, data breach and denial. Service of.
Zimbabwean businesses also cited email attacks and social engineering as their top cybersecurity concerns.
Of the companies surveyed, 75% say they use cloud-based services. However, they also expressed concerns about cloud-based services, citing data loss and recovery, managing user access to information, and compliance challenges when data and services reside in other jurisdictions. bottom.
Makamure said more needs to be done to raise awareness of cybersecurity at the individual and organizational level.
“There is a need to raise awareness at all levels about data privacy and security, as well as increased investment in cybersecurity by organizations.
“Companies need to stop looking at IT as a cost center. It is no longer an age of ignorance. Anyone going online for business or personal reasons should be vigilant,” he said. I was.
He highlighted some of the solutions you can use to keep your data protected and private, including antivirus software, firewalls, secure email, password managers, and cyber security solution suites.
“All users should stay up to date on cybersecurity best practices and actively participate in learning and training as a way to strengthen their digital privacy.
“There are many tips and tricks that you can learn online to add to your security regimen, such as using strong passwords. please do not.”
Zimbabwe recently joined the rest of the world in marking International Data Privacy Week (January 24-28, 2023). It aims to raise global awareness of online privacy and educate users on how to manage their personal information and how to keep it safe.
This is because millions of people are unaware of how their digital activities and personal data are collected and shared with large corporations.
International Data Privacy Week puts privacy control back in the hands of users.
Makamre said:
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