Firms need to keep pace with cyber threats

In recent years, global cyber threats have continued to escalate, leading to an urgent need to defend the digital ecosystem. Kenya’s rapid adoption of digital technologies has come with its own share of pros and cons.

On one hand, it has seen the nation become a leader in technological innovation in the region. But it has attracted a significant number of cyberattacks, targeting sectors ranging from telecommunications to banking, and government systems.

Kenya has faced a rising wave of cyberattacks, ranking among the top three most targeted countries in Africa. This year, the Communications Authority recorded approximately 860 million incidents. This surge has been attributed to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, driven in part by advancements in artificial intelligence, which cybercriminals have exploited to launch more targeted and complex attacks. Therefore, implementing cybersecurity strategies is no longer an option for organisations; it is a necessity.

Cybersecurity tactics such as Bug Bounty programmes, enable organisations to turn to ethical hacking and have vulnerabilities reported and fixed internally. The bug bounty programmes are a flexible and cost-effective way for companies to tighten their defences. They also provide an opportunity for researchers to put their skills to use, help make online platforms safer, and even make a living.

Safaricom has adopted the bug bounty programme as a proactive prevention mechanism. The programme provides a platform for hackers to report any vulnerabilities that they may find in our products confidentially and ethically. Once validated, the hackers are rewarded, thus converting a possible danger into a source of knowledge and a solution. By partnering with the ethical hacking community, we have been able to identify key vulnerabilities, ensuring that our systems remain secure.

In an ever-evolving and complex industry such as cybersecurity, it is almost impossible to predict what the future holds. Therefore, the need for strong cybersecurity measures has never been more critical. Cyber threats are changing daily, and so are their defensive counterparts, evolving in line with increasingly complex networks to be defended.

With growing interconnectivity, it is imperative that cybersecurity becomes core to all organisations’ operations. The penalties of cybersecurity ignorance are devastating. Businesses that do not prioritise this aspect, stand to lose their money and the trust they have cultivated with their target audiences over time.

The nature of cyber threats extends far beyond compliance, and as such, organisations must understand that cybersecurity is about survival in a dangerous world. Each business must modernise, use good cyber hygiene and outsource help to protect themselves. As Cybersecurity Awareness Month ends, it is important to note that cybersecurity is the new grounding for future-proofing businesses in this era of technology.

Mr Mulila is the chief corporate security officer at Safaricom.