South Africa records decline in malware attacks
by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG – SOUTH Africa recorded a significant decrease in the number of mobile malware attacks in 2019 after growing awareness on the importance of mobile cyber security.
According to researchers from Kasperky, the global cyber security firm, attacks in the country fell to 12 700 from 20 000 in 2018.
The company projects the attacks to decline further with many countries projected to see significant improvements in terms of mobile security in 2020.
“South Africa might be one of them,” said Victor Chebyshev, a security expert at Kaspersky.
“However, we should stay alert as the global picture differs a lot from country to country, and it is too early to name the new decade a safer one compared to the previous.”
South Africa’s progress in 2019, however, was different from the rest of the world, according to Kaspersky’s Mobile Malware Evolution report.
Adware, or advertising-supported software, nonetheless remains South Africa’s main problem.
It accounts for more than half of attacks (7 778) in 2019, followed by the so-called Malicious Bankers (1 562).
– CAJ News
