Tag Archive for: africa

74% of employees in South Africa say that robots should be more widely used in production, but fear robot hacking

/in


Kaspersky

Kaspersky

According to Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) research, employees in South Africa believe that the better robots become at different tasks, the fewer jobs will remain for humans. The majority of local employees surveyed (74%) believe that robots should be more widely used across different industries, however, many fear robot hacking.

Today robotics are used together with industrial control systems and other information technology to handle production processes, replacing manual labour and improving efficiency, speed, quality and performance. Kaspersky conducted a study to learn the opinion of employees of manufacturing companies and other large organisations around the world about the consequences of automation and increased use of robots. The goal was to see what employees think about the security of robots and automated systems in their companies. The survey included respondents from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and South Africa.

Employees reported an increase in robotisation level in their companies over the last 2 years. 33% of employees from South Africa said their organisations already use robots, 39% of local organisations plan to use them in the near future.

Research showed that people expect job loss because of robotisation. The better robots become at different tasks, the fewer jobs will remain for humans. The majority of employees surveyed in South Africa (92%) believe robots will eventually replace humans in their industry. As robots are advancing in all market sectors, humans need to receive new knowledge and skills not to lose their job to robots. And they are ready to do so: among those who think that their jobs could be replaced by robots, the majority (75%) are willing to learn new skills or improve their existing skills and expertise. 

At the same time, many employees remain optimistic in view of robots taking away jobs. They think robot adoption will make humans’ roles safer and intellect-demanding, along with increasing the efficiency of production. 48% believe that enough new jobs will be created to counter the loss of jobs to robots. More jobs will emerge for programmers, data scientists, and engineers – these people will drive robot adoption in the…

Source…

Africa Security Brief No. 41: Strengthening Sahelian Counterinsurgency Strategy – Mali

/in


By Michael Shurkin
July 25, 2022

Adapting Sahelian force structures to lighter, more mobile, and integrated units will better support the population-centric COIN practices needed to reverse the escalating trajectory of violent extremist attacks.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have experienced a near uninterrupted expansion in militant Islamist violence over the past decade, underscoring the need for an alternative security strategy. Central to this is the recognition that these violent extremist groups employ irregular tactics and operate as local insurgencies, requiring a sustained counterinsurgency campaign.

  • Elevating the effectiveness of Sahelian forces will require a more integrated, mobile, and population-centric force structure bolstered by enhanced logistical and air support capabilities.

  • Building positive relations with local populations is not just a question of morality or legitimacy but also an essential means of weakening support to insurgents.

Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel is accelerating faster than in any other region in Africa. After nearly a decade of conflict, violent events in the Sahel (specifically Burkina Faso, Mali, and western Niger) are surging—with a 140-percent increase since 2020 and no signs of abatement. Militant Islamist group violence against civilians in the Sahel represents 60 percent of all such violence in Africa and is projected to increase by more than 40 percent in 2022.1 This uninterrupted escalation of violence has displaced more than 2.5 million people and is on pace to kill more than 8,000 individuals in 2022 (see Figure 1 in the PDF).

Government control over the vast rugged territory has diminished over the years, revealing an inability to sustain pressure on militant Islamist groups and to provide security for communities. Sahelian security forces have suffered heavy losses in the conflict. Militants have successfully targeted security and defense forces in their attacks throughout Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Superior mobility and intelligence capabilities have allowed the militant groups to overrun static military bases, resulting in hundreds of casualties among armed forces….

Source…

New Warnings Show How Hackers in Nigeria Can Remotely Steal Cars – IT News Africa

/in


Image sourced from Car Throttle.com.

Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) published a warning yesterday advising drivers in the West African country to beware of a new cybercrime method being used by hackers where car doors can be opened and vehicles can be started without keys, all done remotely while the criminals hide nearby.

According to the NCC, owners of Honda and Acura-model vehicles are the most susceptible to these kinds of new attacks.

The NCC discovered these new grand theft auto methods via investigations made by the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT), a cybersecurity body established to protect the country’s telecom sector by the NCC.

According to CSIRT’s report, released to the media by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director Public Affairs at the NCC, there is an existing cyber-vulnerability with certain makes of vehicles that allows hackers to remotely unlock vehicles, start their engines wirelessly and then steal the cars. The only requirement is that the hackers be nearby the vehicles to allow the process to take place.

“CSIRT discovered that because car remotes are categorised as short-range devices that make use of radiofrequency to lock and unlock cars, there are immediate dangers in a new hacking method which sees hackers take advantage to unlock and start a compromised car,” said Adinde, quoted by Vanguard Nigeria.

According to CSIRT’s report, the cybercrime attack is what is known as a “Man-in-the-Middle” attack, or a reply attack, in which a threat actor intercepts the radio signal used by car remotes and manipulates the signal in order for the criminal to remotely unlock the car at a later time – like when the owner has lost sight of the vehicle – and gain access.

Some vehicles are more susceptible to these attacks than others, such as certain Honda or Acura models which can be started without ignition keys. These model vehicles can have their engines started wirelessly using the same reply attack method. By the time the owner returns, their car has vanished with no broken glass or alarm bells to tell the owner of what occurred.

“The attack consists of a threat actor capturing the radiofrequency…

Source…

Wi-Fi Network Security: What You Should do to Secure Your Wi-Fi-Connected Electronic Devices – IT News Africa

/in


The internet of things is a superb invention that’s revolutionizing how people work.

The internet of things is a superb invention that’s revolutionizing how people work. Thanks to the Wi-Fi network connection, we can now set our Toppricer electronics and appliances to work while we are not at home. Unfortunately, there is a flip side to it.

Unscrupulous humans have found ways to target Wi-Fi networks, thereby jeopardizing the safety of homes and businesses. Thankfully, you can protect yourself and anyone connected to your network from malware attacks.

Yes, we know that you have an anti-virus set as the overall security. However, a few other tweaks here and there will beef up the network’s security, therefore, keeping your identity safe. Take a look at some of the overlooked security measures you can put up over your Wi-Fi network.

Disengage remote access

We know that there are instances that call for remote access to your network, but this can pose a threat to your data’s security. Anyone that has the know-how of hacking into the remote network can easily intercept the network and wreak havoc to your system.

Other than that, anyone who has previously used your Wi-Fi can also access your network remotely if you enable this feature. In addition to disengaging remote Wi-Fi access, change your password and Wi-Fi’s identity every time you allow untrustworthy guests into the network. And if you want to reduce the number of times you change this encryption key, simply deny unknown guests from accessing your Wi-Fi.

Centralize the router

One of the most common practices within homes and business premises is the placement of routers near the walls or windows. While this may look strategic, it is a habit that encourages intruders to access your Wi-Fi network effortlessly.

The reason behind this analogy is that one wall is not enough to block an interested person from receiving the signal even when they are right outside your property. On the other hand, windows do not even block the signal, so placing your router next to one is hazardous to your privacy.

Placing the router in a central location within the office or home limits access to the network from…

Source…