SA cyber crime warning
Security company Symantec has warned that the next major global cyber security hub could be South Africa, as the country struggles to cope with the twin effects of rising broadband penetration and the World Cup tournament this summer. This is according to IT news website V3.co.uk.
V3.co.uk reports that Symantec said that “South Africa risks creating a ‘perfect storm’ for cyber criminals because of significant broadband infrastructure upgrades within the country, including links to two new undersea fibre-optic cables. Improved broadband connectivity is often the key factor leading to increased botnet activity in a region.”
Last year Symantec predicted a rise in World Cup-related spam and phishing attacks as the groups and fixtures for the event are announced. “There will, without a doubt, be a dramatic upsurge in cybercrime once South Africa starts to experience faster broadband speeds and cheaper broadband prices. The time to start preparing for this is now,” said Gordon Love, Regional Director for Africa at Symantec.
High-profile sporting events are one of the most abused opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit fans’ hunger for tickets with increased spam and phishing activity.
“As fans see the World Cup fixtures confirmed, tickets will sell like hot cakes. Supporters who struggle to secure them are likely to take risks and purchase tickets through unauthorised channels or believe the promises of unsolicited emails,” Love said.
According to V3.co.uk Symantec is installing additional network sensors in the region in order to monitor threat activity more accurately. The firm is also set to launch a new web site this month dedicated to reporting on threat levels related to the World Cup.
SA Cyber crime warning – comments and views
Related links:
South African Cyber threats in 2010
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