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Huawei says as consumers adopt the use of smart technologies they have to be alert to emerging threats like cyberattacks.
Adam Lane. Deputy Chief Executive, Public Affairs Huawei Kenya warns that companies, consumers, global carriers, global enterprises, governments, and industries need to improve their defences, as cybercrime continues to rise.
Lane emphasizes that an intelligent world calls for global connectivity and mutual trust that will maintain global prosperity.
“Huawei is committed to providing technology for all and technology for good that prioritizes development, enhance global collaboration, promotes innovation, and ensures ubiquitous connectivity, digitization, and artificial intelligence (AI). However, with this technology comes unprecedented challenges like cybersecurity,” said Lane during an online conference hosted by ISACA Kenya Chapter.
The conference themed ‘Maintaining Enterprise Resilience during Systemic disruption’.
6, 450, 346 cyber threat events detected since March
Mercy Wanjau, Ag. Director-General Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) collaborated Lane’s sentiments revealing that since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, that has forced people to work from home, 16, 450, 346 cyber threat events had been detected.
In order to mitigate cyber risks and disruptions, Wanjau reiterated the need for cyber awareness through all channels of communication, collaboration between local and international partners, and enhanced internal processes such as enhancement of incident handling, forensics investigation capabilities and upgrade of detection and analysis capabilities.
“Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected while sustainability is about survival and the goal of resilience is to thrive,” said Wanjau in her presentation on the regulator’s role in maintaining enterprise resilience during a systematic disruption.
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Mark Thomas, governance, risk, and compliance expert in the areas of Cybersecurity, IT Service Management, Assurance, Audit and IT Controls on the other hand, emphasized that with the growing complexity of today’s information and technology environments, having a proper governance framework that is tailored to your unique environment is key.
“A tailored governance system requires a multitude of components, including processes, organizational structures, Information flows, behaviors. These need to work together in a systemic way in any governance system which will synchronize the IT, business, and assurance functions,” he told the participants.
Adam Lane, further noted that the World Economic Forum ranks Cyber Attacks as the third biggest threat to mankind, behind extreme weather and natural disasters.
He explained how Huawei’s cybersecurity journey from making cybersecurity and privacy protection the company’s top priorities through to the strategies and end-to-end systems that they use to build trust and high quality into every ICT infrastructure product and solution that it develops.
Lane took the participants through applications of digital technology in the anti-epidemic fight showing how 5G, AI, big data, cloud computing have been deployed to prevent contagion, treat patients, and shorten the crisis.
Ken Kaberia, Head Enterprise Risk, Safaricom Plc said in the coming weeks, business leaders need to ask themselves: Depth of disruption which is impact, Length of disruption, and shape of the recovery.
Kaberia warns that a rapid return to normalcy comes with higher risks and a new reality.
According to Kaberia, the adoption of the AACT Planning Model will be key going forward.
The AACT model focuses on Adopting the business to a new world, Accelerating structural shifts, Crafting stage-based return plans, workforce and customers, and Time- transitioning given the local environment that most businesses will be considering a stage-based return.
