Management at Finnish cyber security services company Silverskin says the company does what few competitors in the global digital security space can: source and provide concrete information of the current and futuristic security status of a business by offering decision makers a view from an attacker's perspective.

Data is the most prized asset in the world of cyber security, involving threat analysis and protection. The use of technology has evolved, spurred on by the need to consistently protect infrastructure and resources, as well as source reliable information about the level of protection at any given time. It is about identifying potential weak spots in the security system, those can could be exploited, and what the potential risks to the organisation could be.

Under the direction of founder and CEO Mikko Niemelä, an expert on large scale cybercrime investigations, effects, auditing and protection, Silverskin has now identified Africa as a market in which there is a growing demand for analysis to provide reliable data on the strength of security systems implemented by businesses.

Silverskin's argument is that few businesses actually know what they have online. "And if you don't know what you have online, you really cannot secure it" says Niemelä. "That is the biggest problem, there are so many things happening... the corporates don't know what they have ... they buy from different vendors, use different services."

He says Africa has a great deal of assets to protect. "The stakes are high in Africa."

Continued use of legacy systems and the inability to accurately assess digital 'footprints' in cyberspace represent the most significant security threats to businesses.

Added to this is the challenge in sourcing and applying technical security skill sets to reinforce the protection.

The Company delivers auditing and measuring tools to enable companies to overcome the problem of not having a sufficient amount of concrete data to develop a sound security strategy.

One of Silverskin's services rolled out is 'Situational Awareness', a term it uses to describe the overall awareness businesses should have both internally and externally, from a security point of view.

The Company monitors an organisation's internet-facing cyber resources and models a continuously updated view. The results can be accessed in realtime via a mobile device.

"It is not a cure, but it provides a full x-ray of the organisation," claims the company's leadership.

Given the significant economic growth potential in meeting the cyber security needs of the continent, Silverskin plans to establish a full time base in South Africa and from this base tap into emerging markets across Africa.

Key regions identified include Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria, with the initial focus on large entities and listed ventures.

Niemelä said the company has recently successfully negotiated its first distribution deal and this will be finalised and announced soon.