Cyberattack Preparedness: African Companies in the Spotlight

Uncover the current state of cybersecurity Cyberattack on in Africa as revealed by a Dell Technologies report.

Learn about the impact of cyberattacks and the importance of preparedness.

Recent revelations by Dell Technologies have sounded alarm bells in the African corporate world, with the shocking statistic that 52% of African companies are not ready to ward off a large-scale cyberattack.

The Current State of Cybersecurity in Africa

In a forum held in Lagos, the findings were shared in partnership with CWG and Mitsumi, key players in the IT sector.

The lack of preparedness has resulted in a dramatic 600% rise in cyberattacks across the continent in the past 24 months.

A detail often overlooked is that many of these attacks go unreported, making it an even more pressing issue than it might initially seem.

The Impact of Ransomware

In 2020 alone, the report found that 61% of businesses in Africa were affected by ransomware.

This resulted in approximately $4 billion being lost to attacks.

It might come as a surprise, but 88% of all data breaches were the result of employee error.

The Increasing Value of Data

Ashraf Helmy, Regional Sales Manager for Dell, underscored the increasing threat of cyberattacks by highlighting the growing importance of data.

Data is not only the most valuable asset in today’s world, but its widespread use also amplifies the vulnerability of companies.

Consequently, businesses now face a multitude of penetration points.

“Remember, the question is not if you will be attacked, but when.

And when it happens, what recovery tool will you employ?” Helmy pointedly asked.

The Fallout of Cyberattacks

Multiple reports have shown that many companies that fall victim to cyberattacks end up paying a ransom in the vain hope of retrieving their data.

Sadly, they often don’t recover the data. As a response to this worrying trend, Dell has developed tools to assist companies in data recovery, including a data vault that Helmy deems a necessity for every company.

Investing in Technology and Collaboration

Speaking at the forum themed: ‘Tech-Driven Future-Building Tomorrow’s Innovation’, Adekunle Windapo, Senior Systems Engineer at Dell Technologies, advised firms to invest in technology to stay relevant and competitive.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration, arguing that without it, no organization can successfully innovate.

Simplifying IT Processes

Windapo urged organizations to simplify their IT processes to boost productivity.

With Dell Technologies recently investing $7.9 billion in R&D, they are well-positioned to support organizations in transforming their ideas into innovations that can increase profitability.

Strengthening Partnerships

The forum also served as a platform for the COO of CWG, Afolabi Sobande, to highlight the synergies among CWG, Dell Technologies, and Mitsumi.

The collaboration has pooled the best of expertise and resources to create an exceptional platform for thought leadership, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.

In this partnership, Dell acts as the technology partner and owner of Mitsumi, an IT distribution company present in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, CWG is responsible for bringing the technology to the market.

In conclusion, the revelations of Dell Technologies’ report are indeed a wakeup call for African companies.

With over half of them currently unprepared for a large-scale cyberattack, the time is ripe for a concerted effort in bolstering cybersecurity.

Let’s hope that initiatives such as those driven by Dell, CWG, and Mitsumi will help build a more cyber resilient African corporate sector.

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