Tag: cybercrime

Face biometrics provides a critical first line of technology defence against rising identity fraud. Identity fraud has surged, with impersonation fraud increasing by 356% from April 2022 to April 2023, according to Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS).

Revenge porn and legislation have become critical issues, as victims face complex legal challenges in seeking justice and protection. The internet and digital platforms have significantly impacted privacy rights and the legal landscape. Social media, blogs, and other online forums have created a complex cyber landscape.

Cyber threats usually escalate during the festive season, as cybercriminals take advantage of holiday distractions. For many, a tax refund may feel like the perfect holiday gift. But, unfortunately, cybercriminals often intercept these refunds, leaving taxpayers and businesses vulnerable.

As cyber attacks grow in frequency and complexity, it is urgent to shift from prevention alone to detection and response. Many businesses still rely on outdated, reactive approaches, even though Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is not a new concept. Without proactive cyber threat management these reactive methods leave organisations vulnerable to sophisticated attacks.

Con artists and scammers are becoming more skilled at manipulating bank details and private information from consumers. It is important to understand the risks and recognise the warning signs. Fraud and scam statistics in South Africa are alarming.

Our 2025 cybersecurity predictions, developed by a team of global industry experts, highlight critical trends shaping the cyber threat landscape. In 2024, cyber threats escalated at an unprecedented pace, driven largely by the rapid adoption and evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

As the year ends, businesses face year-end fatigue and the pressures of the approaching festive season. This period, marked by heavy workloads and rushing to meet targets, creates opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities. One prominent method is business email compromise (BEC), a sophisticated cybercrime targeting organisations via email system infiltration. A common BEC tactic involves altering banking details on invoices.

As Black Friday approaches, millions of consumers prepare for one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The excitement of discounts and limited-time deals drives online shopping. However, this also creates an opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit the surge in activity.

It was the late noughties that saw the most prominent emergence of digital tools, which in turn paved the way for a whole new generation of investment companies in the form of online trading platforms. Since then, spurred on by rapid innovation, emerging inventions like cryptocurrency and the speed of its mainstream adoption have put online trading into overdrive.

Consumers are familiar with phishing emails, fraudulent SMS messages and social media scams. However, the scale and complexity of cyberattacks on critical sectors far exceed these relatively simple threats. Entire industries and governmental bodies face increasingly sophisticated attacks. These attacks can cripple essential services, cause significant economic damage and compromise sensitive data on a massive scale.