African countries feature high on cyber criminals’ target list

Ransomware is malware that denies a user or organisation access to files in their environment.

A shocking 78% of South African organisations were struck by a ransomware attack last year, up from 51% the previous year.

Even beyond malicious users, there are many scenarios that can result in data loss.

The value of data has increased exponentially, to the point where becoming a victim of cybercrime is no longer an if, but a when.

Even if backups are automated, they need to be tested otherwise organisations risk all the repercussions that go along with data loss.

As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, incidents of ransomware continue to rise across the globe.

It was around three and a half decades ago that the world experienced its first major security attack.

Only the company’s retail trading application, Patricia Personal, has been compromised with Bitcoin and Naira assets affected.

Ransomware is a global issue facing almost all organisations whose businesses depend on or leverage information technology, and organisations in Africa are no exception.

Governments are scrambling to catch the culprits behind the cyberattacks that are disrupting operations at large organisations.

One Channel Namibia warns that with the help of a hard-drive-encrypting virus, cyber criminals force users to choose between paying an online ransom and losing their files forever.