Kenya Cyber Security Report 2015
Cyber Security Perspective from the Cyber
Security Sector
Tyrus Kamau | Information Security Consultant and Chair of the
AfricaHackOn
I
t has indeed been an eventful year for cyber security
providing guidance and
globally. Right from the Sony Hack, Hacking Team’s leak,
leadership in all matters
Android’s Operating Systems’ numerous vulnerabilities,
cyber security. In
General Motors’ Jeep hack, the list goes on.
Locally, we saw a sharp rise in financial fraud within banks
through mobile money, system tampering and mobile network
exploitation. All these have received wide coverage from the
main stream media lending credence to the fact that situational
addition, we are seeing
a very fast proliferation of technologies such as NFC which, as
show cased in the recently concluded AfricaHackOn conference,
have inherent vulnerabilities which banks & merchants need to
address sooner than later.
awareness around the subject is gaining wide spread attention
The issue around capacity building is one that will propel the
compared to previous years.
country into a more proactive approach towards the subject,
On the ground, it’s a different ball game. We are still seeing
very few capable information security practitioners, insufficient
reporting of cyber security incidences and a hands-off
approach by the respective Government bodies. Granted,
there have been institutions set up like the KE-CIRT housed at
whereby entrants to the space will push the envelope in terms
of Research & Development, curriculum realignment, legislation
and compliance. This has been AfricaHackOn’s mission through
university & college bootcamps, training programs and industrial
placements for those who go through our course.
the Communications Authority (CA) which by now should be
In conclusion, there is need for a local professional body to enshrine
some core philosophies which are unique to our ecosystem as opposed
to borrowing heavily from international best practices.
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