Yelbridges Virtual Conference Centre will offer training on cybersecurity to IT professionals in the country besides offering foolproof security solutions that will ensure organisation systems are secure and protect customer data. FILE PHOTO | NMG
War on cybersecurity in the country has been enhanced with the completion of Sh150 million virtual reality centre in Thika by a Kenyan-based information technology firm, Yelbridges.
The new project, to be launched on Thursday by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, will help in stepping up cybersecurity capacity in the country in the face of the rising incidents of cyber threats and attacks.
Yelbridges Virtual Conference Centre will offer training on cybersecurity to IT professionals in the country besides offering foolproof security solutions that will ensure organisation systems are secure and protect customer data.
“The centre is equipped with state of the art facilities to simulate cyber-attacks and launch a defense against them,” said Lisa Cherono, head of marketing at the firm.
“We have a wide array of security solutions for banks, Saccos and other business organisations. This will go a long way to protect internet users in a continent that has less than 1,000 certified cybersecurity professionals to protect its 1.3 billion population.”
She added that majority of cybercrime incidents in many organisations either go unreported or unresolved and that the new facility is set to bridge this gap.
According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, there were 37.1 million cyber threat events between October and December 2019 compared to 25.2 million cyber threat events detected between July and September of the same year. This was a 47.3 percent increase compared to the previous quarter.
The increase in cyber-attacks is attributed to an exponentially high number of malware infiltrations.
The virtual centre, whose experts are drawn from Germany and Kenya, will offer Cyber Defense Simulated training/drills for senior managers of Saccos, banks and other business organisations who will be immersed in a cyberattack and will be required to react and manage different incident situations.
“In Kenya today, cybercrime is a major hindrance to the growth of the economy and leading to massive losses to public and private organisations. No one is immune to cyber threats, in fact, recent reports indicate that cyber threats are at an alarming level in Kenya," she said.
Former ICT Principal Secretary, Bitange Ndemo said East Africa faces an acute cybersecurity skills gap with IT teams lacking the know-how on cyber defence skills against cyber-attacks.
Professor Ndemo added that the rise in cybercrime is a result of the ballooning youth population at a time when unemployment is already a crisis.
To further enhance cybersecurity skills in learning institutions, the company is partnering with universities and digital Innovation hubs to scale up modern security skills amongst students and practitioners pursuing IT security-related courses.
Yelbridges has already signed a memorandum under the Cyber for Growth program with UISU-Africa to offer specialised training in cybersecurity to students pursuing computer-related c
No comments :
Post a Comment