Cybersecurity firm launches data protection system in Kenya, Tanzania

Kenya: Kenya’s increasing reliance on smartphones and tablets is fuelling demand for security solutions, which has seen cybersecurity firms jostle for a piece of the market.

This comes after a series of cyber attacks in recent weeks that saw millions of Gmail passwords exposed and credit information leaked, forcing users globally to re-evaluate their online security measures.

According to a recent study by Internet security firm Symantec, consumers in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa remain greatly exposed, following the exponential growth of the telecoms industry in these markets.

The study found that more users today are relying on their mobile phones and tablets to navigate, share, socialise and shop, without realising that a large chunk of their private information is vulnerable should these devices be compromised, lost or stolen.

Global security vendor Cyberoam is the latest security firm to set up in the country, and last week it launched an online security system in the Kenyan and Tanzanian markets.

Great risk

The system, dubbed Sophos, is a business security solution and provides for several safeguards, including Internet security, application and device control, data protection, encryption tools and mobile protection.

“Kenya and Tanzania are growing markets, and the information and technology industries in these two markets are among the fastest-growing in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Philip Obondy, Cyberoam’s channel manager for Kenya.

“However, this growth also provides for great risk because many users are as yet unaware of the dangers they expose themselves to either through human error or by overlooking the importance of security solutions.”

According to recent data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), mobile penetration in the country currently stands at 78 per cent, with a total of 30.7 million subscribers registered across four mobile operators.

Over 90 per cent of Internet users in the country use their mobile phones to go online, with nearly as many using these devices to carry out mobile banking or money transfers.

In addition, Kenya has registered a huge rise in the number of smartphone users over the last three years.

 

More than 10 per cent of mobile phone users currently own smartphones, with adoption driven by a growing middle class with increased discretionary income, and the availability of affordable devices in the market.

“One of the challenges security systems, particularly those bought off the shelf, have is that they are either too rigid and allow little room for customisation or they can only be used on one device,” said Mr Obondy.

Key threats

“Sophos allows users a broad range of protection, providing coverage for operating systems, desktops, mobile devices, gateways and exchange servers.

“In addition, the software can protect off-network laptops and devices, which means you are still covered even in remote areas or when travelling.”

Obondy said this is important going by the growing adoption of tablets and smartphones that pose a security threat to companies’ internal networks.

“Some of the key threats that people face include botnet attacks, cyber espionage, and online and mobile banking fraud,” said Obondy.

“Endpoint security has become popular with users because it can provide real-time and consistent protection to users regardless their location, point of connection or device.”

The new offering by Cyberoam is expected to stoke competition in East Africa’s IT sector, which is currently dominated by traditional brands like Kaspersky, McAfee and Symantec’s Norton.

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