Cyber criminals and botnet operators are starting to take an active interest in African Internet service providers, due to Africa's imminent bandwidth explosion and lack of Internet security awareness.
This is the view of Rhodes University's Barry Irwin, senior lecturer at the department of computer science. He says broadband will initially be limited to coastal countries that can tap directly into the submarine cable projects. However, he expects this connectivity will extend inland within the next few years.
Irwin will speak during the upcoming ITWeb Security Summit, being held from 11 to 13 May at the Sandton Convention Centre.
According to Irwin, the biggest challenges facing African countries in the next few years include dealing with cyber crime operations and educating the public around Internet security. He says newly connected individuals will be particularly vulnerable to threats such as phishing.
Irwin adds that telcos and Internet service providers (ISPs) also need to be educated on how to respond effectively when their customers report threats such as phishing, denial of service attacks, and spamming. “Telco operators and ISPs are key in the frontline fight against the growing threat base; their staff members need to be adequately trained and informed.”
ITWeb's 5th annual Security Summit
More information about ITWeb's Security Summit, which takes place on 11-13 May 2010 at the Sandton Convention Centre is available online here.
Irwin claims increased bandwidth will result in more cyber attacks targeting SA, especially with the Fifa Soccer World Cup around the corner. “Scam e-mails with subjects like 'Fifa World Cup lottery' and 'South African 2010 lottery award' have already been circulating. People just need to be aware of these.
“Combined with the extremely high prevalence of pirated operating software; which is difficult if not impossible to patch, and the low levels of technical expertise, we have the potential for a disaster,” states Irwin.
The biggest impact in years to come, he explains, will be fibre to the home, “as we really start enjoying the advantages of the thousands of kilometers of new fibre optic networks and international connectivity infrastructure that has been built up for the event.”
According to the World Wide Worx 2010 Internet Access Report, the total number of South Africans accessing broadband Internet has risen by more than 50% over the past year. By 2015, there will be more than 10 million Internet users in the country.
The report predicts that, by 2011, the total capacity of undersea cables connecting Africa to the rest of the world will have increased 150-fold over 2008. This will lead to an increase in the amount of Internet users, as well as in the development of new services and applications.
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