In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Kenya’s leading telco Safaricom is hosting a two-day industry-wide Cybersecurity Summit in Nairobi Kenya.
The event, themed “Secure Innovation, Unstoppable Growth for Kenyan Financial Services,” is calling for businesses, government entities, and individuals to invest in technologies that protect sensitive data and critical systems from cyber threats.
It brings together close to 500 cybersecurity industry leaders and professionals to discuss the latest cybersecurity trends and evolving enterprise networks.
“At Safaricom, we continue to provide a variety of solutions that connect, protect, enable, and transform business, ensuring business continuity even in the face of cyberattacks.” Safaricom’s Chief Executive, Peter Ndegwa said.
Between April and June 2024, Kenya recorded over 1.1 billion cyber threats, as reported by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). This surge is linked to the growing number of Internet of Things devices, insecure system configurations, outdated software, and the rapid evolution of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence.
Safaricom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Cynthia Kropac, said Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are equally vulnerable to cyber threats with growing digitization.
“With growing digitalization globally, micro, MSMEs remain vulnerable to cyber-attacks with a lack of understanding of security risks and limited capital allocation to mitigate such threats. There is a need to equip MSMEs with knowledge and hands-on training on how to identify and combat cyber threats and become more cyber-resilient,” she said.
An Interpol African Cyberthreat assessment report of 2024 also shows that Africa experienced the highest average weekly cyber-attacks per organization in Q2 2024, mainly due to the inadequacy of cybersecurity infrastructure. Nearly 90% of African businesses lack cybersecurity protocols, leaving them vulnerable to attacks.
This is the second annual Safaricom Cybersecurity Summit.
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