Sunday, December 1African Digital Business Magazine

Tech

Business, Tech

Experts Warn of Common Black Friday Scams to Avoid

With Black Friday just around the corner, thousands of deals and discounts will be up for grabs on November 29th. Whether you're a savvy shopper hunting for bargains or getting a head start on holiday gift shopping, there will be plenty of irresistible offers to take advantage of. However, it's crucial to stay vigilant, as online scams tend to increase in the lead-up to major sales events. Cybercriminals often take advantage of the larger audiences drawn to websites by discounted prices and special offers, making it more important than ever to protect yourself from potential threats. Marco Farnararo, CEO and Co-Founder of BravoVoucher.co.uk, has shared his expert advice on how to identify and steer clear of Black Friday scams. Fake Websites Popular retai...
Fintech, South Africa News, Tech

SAFPS Warns: Technology is Emerging as a Major Battleground in the Fight Against Fraud

International Fraud Awareness Week is a global annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the widespread issue of fraud and showcasing the efforts across various sectors to combat this growing challenge. This year it takes place from November 17 to 24. "The role technology plays in fraud, and scams is becoming particularly challenging in South Africa," says Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), “with South Africa growing into an increasingly connected society, online fraud is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed." Be Careful of Business Email Compromise (BEC) The increased nature of technology-based fraud is evident in the recent statistics accompanying it. This is a significant challenge for companies th...
Tech

Digital sovereignty: the key to data control, security, and independence

By Alex Galbraith, CTO, Cloud Services at SoftwareOne Working with data can be a blessing and a curse. While it is the definitive factor that empowers digital transformation efforts, aids decision-making and stores an organisation’s most valuable and confidential assets, dealing with data is often a business’ greatest challenge. As the world’s dependence on data grows and the threat of cyberattacks increases, businesses need solutions that will them manage, govern, and safeguard their data more efficiently – and this is where digital sovereignty comes in. Digital sovereignty helps people, businesses, and countries to stay in control of their digital assets and data. It goes beyond ownership of data – it means having full authority over everything from where and how data is stored and pro...
Business, Events, South Africa News, Tech

Digital Marketing Conference back in Cape Town on 20 & 21 November 2024

Excitement is building as industry leaders, marketing professionals, and digital enthusiasts prepare to gather at the Digital Marketing Conference 2024 (DMC) in Cape Town this November. This not to be missed marketing event is set to take place on 20 & 21 November 2024 at CTICC, Cape Town. The conference will bring together marketing professionals from various industries to explore the latest trends, strategies, and innovations in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing. Now is the time to sharpen your company’s digital marketing efforts. Continued marketing is critical to any business and online digital marketing is offering affordable opportunities to get your brand out there and noticed. As more people are spending more time online, savvy marketers are capitalising on th...
Tech

Protecting your data from face-stealing scams

As facial recognition technology becomes more widespread, many people are embracing it as a secure and convenient means of authentication. With tech giants like Apple popularising Face ID, which not only encrypts facial data and only stores it on device in Secure Enclave, but also uses sophisticated 3D scanning that can’t be easily fooled or compromised, financial institutions however have also integrated facial recognition into their security protocols. However, Adrian Stanford, Group CTO at ESET Southern Africa, says the latest ESET Threat Report H1 2024 reveals that cybercriminals are adapting quickly to the use of less sophisticated biometric technology. Using advanced techniques, attackers are now exploiting AI-driven face-swapping services to bypass security measures and gain unau...
South Africa News, Tech

AfricaCom 2024: French Companies Ready to Transform the African Digital Landscape

From November 12 to 14, 2024, Business France will showcase French expertise at the AfricaCom 2024 exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa. This essential event for telecommunications and digital transformation in Africa will gather over 15,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors from around the world. South Africa: A Strategic Market for Innovation With 4G coverage reaching 98% and rapid 5G deployment, South Africa is establishing itself as the digital hub of the continent. The country attracts significant investments in telecoms, with nearly €1.8 billion invested in 2023, and positions itself as a key player thanks to its 69 data centers and 9 submarine cables. An unprecedented growth in African telecommunications. The France Pavilion: A Gathering of Leading Companies in Digital Innovation Thi...
South Africa News, Tech

Futuretech: Telkom, NRF launch tech research funding initiative

The programme will benefit historically disadvantaged academic institutions Telkom and the National Research Foundation (NRF) have announced the launch of the Future Technologies (FutureTech) programme, a new initiative to co-fund technology research grants and the studies of postgraduate students and postdoctoral Fellows, to help drive innovation.  The FutureTech programme will support local universities in the research and development of future innovations, solutions and technologies. This will improve competitiveness in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector and other related fields. Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Openserve, Althon Beukes, said the company was pleased to contribute. ‘’Through the Futuretech programme we are investing in the future of South Afric...
South Africa News, Tech

Securing South Africa’s public sector requires the right mindset alongside robust technology

South Africa’s public sector has emerged as a prime target for cybercriminals following a spate of cyber-attacks on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government institutions. Cybersecurity specialists at ESET Southern Africa, say more robust security measures and greater awareness among public sector workers are needed to help close the gaps in cybersecurity. One of the most significant issues in the public sector is the lack of comprehensive security management. The public sector, and municipalities in particular, remain one of the most unmanaged environments when it comes to cybersecurity. Although most entities have basic antivirus systems in place, these solutions are inadequate for the scale and complexity of their operations and often miss other critical elements which are necessar...
Tech

Risk mitigation and protection: cyber-resilience and cyber-insurance

By Richard Frost, Head of Consulting at Armata Protecting the organisation from cyber-risk goes beyond the digital walls surrounding it – companies need a multi-pronged approach to ensure resilience and reduce risk, explains Richard Frost, Head of Consulting at Armata Cyber Security. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) describes an organisation’s active commitment to securing both its digital perimeter and financial assets as fundamental to reducing risk to company solvency. Right now, cyber security is so volatile it presents a significant, ongoing threat to financial stability. The Global Financial Stability Report found that the cost of the cyber-incident is now sitting at $2.5 billion – a price tag that includes repairing and protecting against the damage caused by the incident...
Events, South Africa News, Tech

Johannesburg Welcomes Africa’s Largest AI Event & AI4Good Summit

Africa’s largest Artificial Intelligence & Intelligent Automation event, AI Expo Africa, will be running its highly acclaimed conference & trade show at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa 30-31 October 2024. Now entering its 7th year, the annual AI Expo Africa event unites regional and international thought leaders, suppliers and start-ups to discuss and showcase the latest AI & Smart Tech innovations, from the biggest global brands to the smallest and newest local SMMEs.  The core focus of the show are real world applications you can deploy today with an audience comprised of Enterprise and Government buyers, deployment & service providers, start-ups, educators, NGOs, investors and ecosystem builders.   Nonnie Kubeka, Executive Director of the Gau...