Ransomware - A malicious malware that cyber criminals use to hold computer or computer files for ransom has become an increasingly popular way for malware authors to extort money from companies and consumers alike.

In today's 'information age', any temporary loss of data can completely disrupt business-critical processes leading to Loss in sales, Reduced productivity, Significant costs for system recovery. As of 2016, it was considered one of the most prevalent forms of attack against computer systems, requiring limited exposure to vulnerabilities and minimal reconnaissance on target. We have seen a big number of Ransomware attacks on hospitals pausing a great threat-to-life because they directly threaten a hospital's ability to provide patient care, that puts patient safety at risk. Financial institutions and other organisations have also been victims of ransomware attack recently – Some organisations (e.g Chilean bank BancoEstado) were forced to shut down its services due to the attack.

We are at a point where "Ransomware as a service – RaaS" is gaining notoriety which has caused the rise of ransomware attacks despite the Anti-Ransomware cross-industry initiative named, No More Ransomware – A global campaign to combat Ransomware attacks to help Ransomware victims recover their data without having to pay ransom to cyber criminals which was initiated by Europol, The Dutch National Police, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab.

Organisations and individual alike are encouraged to follow these simple guidelines to combat ransomware attacks.

Back up your important data –The single biggest thing that will defeat ransomware is having a regularly updated backup. Be sure to keep backups offsite where attackers can't find them.

Install Software Updates –Malware authors frequently rely on people running outdated software with known vulnerabilities, which they can exploit to silently get onto your system. Ransomware like WannaCry and NotPetya relied on unpatched vulnerabilities to spread around the globe. Therefore, its strongly advised to Patch early, patch often.

Make use of reputable security suite – Most malware relies on remote instructions to carry out their misdeeds. It is strongly advised to have Use anti-ransomware protection, anti-malware software and a software firewall to help you identify threats or suspicious behaviours. Malware authors frequently send out new variants, to try to avoid detection, so this is why it is important to have layers of protection.

Educate your users – People are often the most vulnerable element in any business – Teach your employees about IT security basics, including: Awareness of phishing and spear-phishing risks. The security implications of opening any email attachment that looks suspicious–even if it appears to be from a trusted source.

Have a well-tested procedure to respond to Ransomware – Well tested assumptions should be documented and shared to all users of the IT assets, this way will get the organisation or an individual familiar with which steps to be taken in the event of ransomware or the like so as to safeguard oneself as well as organisation data.

Final Thoughts

It should be noted that the recent rash of ransomware attacks has generated a lot of breathless news coverage, mainly because it is a departure from previous trends in financially motivated malware (which tended to be stealthy and thus not data-damaging). Ransomware can certainly be frightening, but there are many benign problems that can cause just as much destruction. That is why it has always been, and always will be, a best practice to protect yourself against data loss with regular backups. That way, no matter what happens, you will be able to restart your digital life quickly. If anything, the good that can come out of this ransomware trend is, it indicates the necessity for performing regular and frequent backups to protect our valuable data.

In addition, we must regularly install program updates, and purchase reputable security tools. Good cyber hygiene and best practices are important to protect an organisation from a ransomware attack. Enforcing the use of two-factor authentication across all digital security protocols in an organisation has proven effective in reducing the likelihood of an attack. It is also critical to know your threat landscape, know who has access to your assets and to secure those assets. Managing the configurations and patching of your assets will increase your security posture and decrease the risk of attack.

While cyber security should always be a top priority, it is important to stay vigilant and keep data safe from malicious actors.

Augustina Baker 

TechWarn, USA

Eng. Gaspari Shiliba 

Cybersecurity Specialist, TZ

Yusuph Kileo

Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Expert, AfICTA Board

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has encouraged African countries to make the right investments toward developing a digitally transformed economy.

Mr Jean-Paul Adam, Director, Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources at UNECA, made the call on Tuesday during a webinar monitored in Abuja.

The webinar was organized by Africa Information and Communication Technology Alliance (AfICTA) in collaboration with UNECA with the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Digital Potential Amid COVID-19”.

Adam said that the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic had caused a disruption in activities, hence the need for a paradigm shift.

“Africa needs to address issues that have limited their digital growth. There are issues of gender imbalance, speed of bandwidth, poor internet access.

“When we get some of these issues right, we can connect a huge number of our population and we need to sustain the momentum of Fintech in growing our economies.

“Africa need to leverage on emerging technologies for digital transformation.

“We have the potential to grow our economies digitally, but it requires investments in the right sectors,”Adam said.

He lauded Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for using their locally developed digital technology to address the pandemic.

Mr Hossan Elgamal, Chairman, AfICTA, earlier in his welcome address, said the pandemic had created opportunities for ICT businesses to flourish.

Elgamal added that this was a time to invest in ICT infrastructures, address challenges in the tech ecosystem and the governance of digital transformation.

The chairman also said that synergy between academia, AfICTA and UNECA would help harness ideas that could develop the sector in the continent.

Mr Lacina Kobe, Chief Executive Officer, Smart Africa, said that the African continent was advancing in digital growth, but needed to leverage more on its youthful population for development.

Kobe also added that countries in the continent needed to ensure the implementation of their respective local digital laws.

Mr Inye Kemabonta, CEO, Tech Law Development Services, while discussing on enhancing access and affordability of broadband in Africa, recommended developmental regulation.

According to Kemabonta, some African countries like Nigeria already have increased broadband, but the demand is low and causing the high cost of data.

“Most people do not use the Internet when they are not in need of it, but having a development regulation will compel demand and that is when people are convinced on why data is needed.

“If access to the internet is made easy, demand will increase and the price of data will drop,” he said.

Mr Seun Olugbile, CEO Data Analytics Privacy Tech Ltd, suggested for the mobilization of ICT stakeholders to use data to negotiate better business opportunities for Africa.

Olugbile also said there was a need to develop a policy framework for digital Africa which could enable the use of data for regulation, asides for enforcement.

Mr Kojo Boakye, Director, Public Policy for Africa at Facebook, said the organisation was working on providing capacity for Africa toward sustainable digital growth for up to 25 years.

Boakye added that they were working with mobile operators globally to boost internet access.

He, however, called for appropriate government regulations to ease it of the responsibilities of digital transformation and enable private sector participation.

Mrs Nnenna Nwakanma, Chief Web Advocate, World Wide Web Foundation, said African countries should prioritise digital transformation policies and ensure implementation to attract investors.

Mr Jimson Olufuye, former AfICTA Chairman, called for Cybersecurity awareness to boost the confidence of internet users, grassroots internet connectivity and reduction on the Right of Way.

The outcome of the workshop proposal review and selection process conducted by IGF- Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group (IGF-MAG) on overall 365 submitted workshop proposals, has revealed that 89 proposals have sailed through among which is AfICTA's proposal "#165 Unlocking the Digital Potential of the DLDC (Part II)" which was submitted to the IGF Secretariat on April 22 this year. This is the second time in a row that AfICTA's proposal to the IGF was selected.

According to the group, the evaluation process was very complex and competitive, as stakeholders from around the world submitted proposals of very good quality. IGF MAG further sent a congratulatory message to AfICTA on the great achievement and also appreciates her critical contributions to building a strong IGF 2020 programme of relevance to all stakeholders and regional groups.

As you may have known that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifteenth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) would fully hold online. The IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) together with the IGF Secretariat and UN DESA have begun preparations and consultations on how best to carry out this virtual IGF annual meeting and will keep you updated on the progress. The Government of Poland will now host the IGF 2021 Annual Meeting in Katowice in the 4th quarter of next year and the Governments of Ethiopia and Japan will be hosting the IGF annual meetings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, pending organizational arrangement.

The 15^th annual IGF programme will have an adjusted design to the full-online hosting under the overarching theme: Internet for human resilience and solidarity. The meeting will be officially opened on 9 November and closed on 17 November. During this 7-day phase, workshops, main sessions, the high-level leader's track, parliamentarians roundtable and thematic concluding sessions will be hosted.

The programme continues to develop around the four main thematic tracks: (1) Data; (2) Environment; (3) Inclusion; (4) Trust and for further update please check here.

AfICTA - Africa Information & Communication Technologies Alliance is a concerned private sector led alliance of ICT Associations, Multi-national Corporations, Companies, Organisations and individuals in the ICT sector in Africa.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in collaboration with the Africa Information & Communication Technologies Alliance (AfICTA) invites you to its 4th eConference where we discuss issues poignant in the current times we face globally due to the COVID-19 with focus on the way ICT could be used effectively in solving problems faced within the Health and Education sector as well as with SMEs.

Speakers well acclimated to the African ICT ecosystem will join us to share some insights on how to go about fully utilizing the potential of the digital economy during the pandemic.

Theme: Unlocking Africa's Digital Potential Amid COVID-19

Date: May 26, 2020

Time: 10:00 am (GMT)

Participate by registering here

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