Cyber criminals can easily mimic contact lists or use email addresses that look as if they’ve come from trusted institutions, and a simple click can unleash a ransomware attack that can hold an entire company, government or home hostage.
The report, from a survey conducted across South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius and Botswana showed that “65% of respondents across all eight countries are concerned about cyber crime”.
Of all the countries surveyed, 75% of Kenyans and 74 % of South Africans were the most concerned about the risk of cyber crime and yet respondents were comfortable giving away their personal information as long as they understood what it was being used for. The survey also revealed that 53% of Africans surveyed think that trusting emails from people they know is good enough; 28% have fallen for a phishing email and 50% have had a malware infection
In South Africa, those statistics are completely turned around – more than half of respondents trust emails from people they know, while only 49.5% don’t open attachments they have not expected. Across all eight countries, more than a quarter of respondents checked for bad grammar and spelling to determine whether or not an email was legitimate. Interestingly, more than a quarter had also clicked on a phishing email. It turns out that yes, Africa has been phished and will continue to fall prey to this insidious attack unless the people recognise the need for training and a deeper understanding of security threats.
One of the reasons spam continues to rise in quantity is because it works often enough to be of value. According to the Cisco Talos Email and Web Reputation Centre
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Father kills four kids with nails in heads'The bodies of the three children had five-inch nails in their heads and necks, while the youngest one was bludgeoned to death with a huge stone.'
Read more »
‘We are going to build something special in Africa’ – Maha ZaouiRugby Africa’s new women’s rugby manager Maha Zaoui talks to World Rugby about her ambitious plans for female participation on the continent 'We are going to build something special in Africa'
Read more »
PODCAST | What you need to know when investing in AfricaWith all the doom and gloom around the SA economy, a number of investors are turning to the rest of Africa for growth opportunities
Read more »
South Africa could use mining royalties to set up sovereign fund: Gwede MantasheSouth Africa could use mining royalties to set up a proposed sovereign wealth fund, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday.
Read more »
Mr South Africa Heinrich Gabler arrives in the Philippines ahead of Manhunt 2020Mr South Africa Heinrich Gabler has arrived in Manila, ahead of Manhunt International 2020.
Read more »
Search on for guard accused of walking out of Mall of Africa with R4m cash in a shopping trolleySBV Services on Tuesday appealed for information to assist an investigation into a former employee allegedly linked to the theft of R4-million from its collection facility at the Mall of Africa over six months ago.
Read more »