Local businesses urged to fight cyber attacks
Isaac Pinielo | Friday March 13, 2015 15:56
According to Syed Abdul Junaid, who is territory manager for the Middle East and Africa, most cyber attacks are driven by data theft and commercial espionage.
He implored local businesses not to underestimate the major disruption that can be caused by Information Technology (IT) systems being cut off, noting that a huge number of such attacks can be prevented by basic cyber security steps.
It is reported that very few company executives take a direct interest in protecting their businesses from cyber threats. It is against this backdrop that MicroWorld in association with IT4Africa Botswana held an eScan Antivirus seminar in Gaborone this week, targeting corporate organisations as well as software resellers. The seminar was also aimed at providing local businesses with advice on how to safeguard their most valuable assets, such as personal data, online services and intellectual property.
Delegates were introduced to MicroWorld’s flagship internet security products, eScan and MailScan that encompass antivirus, anti-spyware, content security, anti-spam, and network intrusion prevention solutions. “MicroWorld’s range of products covers the entire spectrum of the information security sphere making it a one-stop shop for protecting all information security assets,” he said.
Junaid stated that over the years, the company has been redefining the information security landscape by developing innovative technologies and solutions, adding that its continued endeavour is to provide futuristic security intelligence to computers, be it in an enterprise, small and medium business, or at home. “The products from MicroWorld are powered by innovative and futuristic technologies that not only provide protection from current threats, but also from emerging threats,” he said.
Some of the major technologies developed by MicroWorld, according to Junaid, include MWL (MicroWorld Winsock Layer), NILP (Non Intrusive Learning Pattern), DIRC (Domain and ID Reputation Checker), eScan Security Network and the sophisticated Anti-Virus Heuristics Algorithms.
Junaid explained that the MWL works on the Windows Sockets (Winsock) layer and blocks all internet-borne malware at the Winsock layer itself, before they reach the application layer. The NILP employs an adaptive mechanism in spam and phishing control using artificial intelligence techniques by learning the behavioural pattern of the user and classifies e-mails as ham (wanted e-mails) or spam (unwanted e-mails) accordingly.
As for DIRC technology, he noted that it checks the reputation of any suspicious website or IP (Internet Protocol), thus protecting the network intruders and other threats. “With its global threat intelligence engine, eScan security network – cloud based technology Enterprise Social Network (ESN) can automatically analyse, classify, detect and quarantine 99.99 percent of new malware received every day at eScan labs, thus keeping eScan customers protected almost in real time,” explained Junaid.
IT4Africa Botswana sales manager, Arcot Vasanth Pramod Raj, said cyber security threats pose a real and significant risk to local businesses by targeting valuable assets such as data and intellectual property.
“By properly protecting themselves against attacks, companies are protecting their bottom line,” he said.
To ensure this happens, Raj said it should be the responsibility of any executive or corporate leader as part of an approach to good corporate governance, which secures a business for the long-term.
In recent times, there have been reports of some companies being hacked or cyber-attacked in the country. Meanwhile, government is said to have started working with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to assist the country develop a national cyber-security framework.