Tech World

Cyber security was a key focus during the 5th Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KIGF) held last week at Strathmore University under the theme 'Connecting Counties for Enhanced Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance'. The key points raised at the forum - which brought together representatives from government, private sector, civil society, academia as well as the internet community - revolved around the emerging legal issues and challenges relating cyber security. According to the Kenya Cyber Security Strategy released in February 2014, criminal organizations and hack-tivists from all over the world are - and will continue - to exploit ICT vulnerabilities in Kenya as the country matures into an Information Society, adding that country faces an increasingly evolving cyber threat landscape. Currently, Kenya ranks fifth in terms of hacking globally. To deal with the threat of cyber insecurity and protect data, Kenya's ICT Ministry developed the National Cyber Se...

Black and gray markets for computer hacking tools, services and byproducts such as stolen credit card numbers continue to expand, creating an increasing threat to businesses, governments and individuals, according to a new RAND Corporation study. One dramatic example is the December 2013 breach of retail giant Target, in which data from approximately 40 million credit cards and 70 million user accounts was hijacked. Within days, that data appeared — available for purchase — on black market websites. “Hacking used to be an activity that was mainly carried out by individuals working alone, but over the last 15 years the world of hacking has become more organized and reliable,” said Lillian Ablon, lead author of the study and an information systems analyst at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “In certain respects, cybercrime can be more lucrative and easier to carry out than the illegal drug trade.” The growth in cybercrime has been assisted by sophisticated and specia...