India-based IT security solutions provider K7 Security has selected South African IT security product supplier CypherData Solutions as its master distributor to target the Sub-Saharan Africa market.

The companies have released a statement confirming the partnership established to roll out K7 security software to companies that continue to have to deal with cybersecurity challenges.

They add because the challenges have become increasingly complex and prolific, companies need to make smarter decisions in terms of their vulnerability to cyberattacks and act more quickly and effectively to any cyber threat.

This is where K7 looks to make an immediate impact in the market.

Headquartered in Chennai, India, K7 Security focuses on understanding the behaviour of attackers and has introduced what is described as a lightweight security software solution to help users combat viruses, malware and ransomware.

The business has been in operation for over 30 years. Its value proposition to the market includes the use of Multi-layered Artificial intelligence Technology (MAT).

Commenting on the partnership, Kesavardhanan J, founder and president of K7 Security, says, “African nations are experiencing accelerating economic growth and rapid digital transformation accompanied by an increase in the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks.

“K7 Security’s enterprise protection solutions combine state-of-the-art technology with our 30-year expertise in cybersecurity to help businesses stop these attacks. We are happy to now defend organisations in the Sub-Saharan region from the cyberattacks of today and tomorrow through our partnership with CypherData Solutions.”

Brett Myroff, CEO of CypherData Solutions, says K7's security approach is strategic: "With the economic climate created by the recent pandemic, a cost-effective lightweight security solution for the African continent is of paramount importance."

He adds that, for CypherData, the most important factor when offering a new product is the vendor's strategy for the region. "K7 is dedicated to business in Africa; not only through pricing but also through the technology behind its solutions that cater to new and legacy operating systems.”

Market research on the state of cybersecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa, including that released by KnowBe4 and IDC in June this year, confirms that data leakages, insider threats, malicious emails and targeted attacks continue to impact business security in the region.

ITWeb Africa reported that according to this research, the top threats facing organisations in the region in 2022 were identified as data leakage (61%), insider threats (43%); targeted attacks using phishing (37%); cloud-related attacks (34%); and ransomware attacks (30%).

The top five global threats are business email compromise, cloud misconfigurations, software supply chain attacks and non-compliance. Phishing or social engineering attacks remain the second most common type of cybercrime and are evolving in terms of technique and success rates.