E-Business
Africa’s Data Security Readiness at Low Levels – Report
Despite a high level of IT security awareness and robust corporate IT governance policies in Africa, the level of data security preparedness is still very low.
This is according to the 2019 “State of Information Security Preparedness in Africa: Data Protection Survey”, compiled by information risk solutions provider, Arcon Techsolutions.
More than 100 industry IT professionals, CIOs and CISOs from Kenya, Nigeria, SA and Ghana were surveyed to establish the state of Africa’s IT and data security preparedness.
The survey highlights that African organisations remain increasingly vulnerable to data breaches. As a result, organisations will have to reinforce their privileged access to secure confidential and sensitive corporate data.
Root cause
The majority of the survey participants believe the root cause for the steep rise in data breaches on the continent is mainly due to a compromised user or privileged account, with 79% of the survey participants agreeing to that fact.
Unfortunately, the awareness alone is not enough to build up a secure IT environment, notes the survey.
“Implementing best privileged account management practices like access based on only need-to-know and principle-of-least-privilege, along with frequent randomisation of privileged credentials, can make the IT security posture more robust.”
According to the survey, 74% of the participants accepted that privileged access management (PAM) is a major area of concern for information security.
Paresh Makwana, cyber security expert and business development consultant at Arcon Techsolutions, says organisations’ IT attack surface expands when adequate attention is not given to secure the access control mechanism.
“Typically, administrative accounts are targeted by malicious insiders or compromised third-party users and sometimes organised cyber criminals. They are always on the lookout to steal or misuse information by making an unauthorised access to target systems.
“Privileged access management practice helps an organisation to establish a rule- and role-based centralised access control policy over users. Therefore, any malicious attempt to breach sensitive information is prevented and the IT administrator receives alert messages about the suspicious activities.”
The survey adds: “To overcome these enormous IT pain-points and secure enterprise databases and critical business applications from malicious activities, enterprises need to adopt best privilege account management practices.
“Privileged access management offers the security team with a foundation to build a robust mechanism to manage, monitor and control privileged identities as every access to target systems is authorised, authenticated and documented.”
Governing policies
Responding to the question whether their companies follow digital or cyber governance policies, most of the participants (88.3%) acknowledged they have information security and governance policies within their organisations.
However, according to the survey, hardly any of those policies emphasise the security of privileged accounts that are the gateways to crucial and confidential data. “Most of the organisations confessed they have not invested in privileged access management solutions to date, which is a matter of genuine concern.”
Three percent of the respondents revealed they don’t know whether their companies follow information security and governance policies, while 7.8% indicated they are unaware.
Under discussion
In regards to the issue of data theft as a key topic within boardroom discussions, 50.6% of the survey respondents indicated ‘no’ to that question, with 44.2% saying ‘yes’. The remainder (5.3%) were ‘not sure’.
The survey states: “In spite of rampant data breach incidents hurting organisations, surprisingly, around 50.6% of respondents believe data theft is not a recurrent subject of boardroom discussions.
“IT security personnel should make this matter more pronounced to the management and board so that everyone is on the same page regarding steps taken to mitigate data security threats.”
Fear factor
Answering the question to what they fear the most, 33.7% highlighted phishing or malware remains the top of the list of their security threats.
The survey also observes that three-quarters of security professionals surveyed fear third-party IT users, insiders and targeted attacks.
“It is important to note the IT attack surface widens due to unmonitored privileged accounts. Malicious third-party IT users, disgruntled corporate insiders and organised cyber criminals snoop privileged credentials to target confidential information.”
Money matters
The survey participants (48%) felt the IT risk and security management team would like to invest in PAM, followed by database activity monitoring (41.55%) and identity access management (36.36%).
In addition, 33.76% voiced their opinion for security compliance management and mobile device management, according to the survey.
“Governance, risk and compliance is also seen as a matter of concern because almost 25.97% respondents held that opinion; and finally, 11.68% respondents felt both identity access management and PAM technologies will be critical IT security investment areas.”
Fifty selected young unemployed Nigerians have completed a four-week intensive digital skills bootcamp under the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, gaining practical training in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IT Essentials.
The programme, a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco, was hosted at NITDA’s South West Zonal Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa , the Head of the South West Zonal Office, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Agugwo, described the initiative as a vital component of Nigeria’s digital future. “This is not just a closing ceremony. It is the launchpad for new journeys—anchored in digital knowledge and powered by innovation,” she remarked.
According to the Director General, the initiative is rooted in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) and reflects key focus areas including Digital Literacy, Emerging Technologies, and Youth Empowerment. It also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to accelerate economic diversification through digitisation, innovation, and skills development.
Inuwa noted that the DL4ALL initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader commitment to digital inclusion—ensuring that no one is left behind in the evolving digital economy. It also supports the ambitious goal of achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027, championed by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. This national vision aims to equip millions of Nigerians with the skills required to thrive in a tech-driven world.
He further emphasized the importance of empowering youth with globally relevant skills. “They are no longer just consumers of technology. They are creators, innovators, and future employers,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that throughout the bootcamp, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences designed to build both technical proficiency and digital leadership capabilities.
“This is only the beginning,” he stated. “Through our zonal strategy, we are bringing innovation closer to local communities. This is how we democratise access and unlock Nigeria’s full digital potential.”
Inuwa expressed appreciation to Cisco for delivering high-impact training and called on stakeholders to continue investing in partnerships, people, and platforms that drive digital inclusion.
He asserted that the newly certified participants are now equipped to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital economy—armed with the skills to build solutions, secure infrastructure, and launch tech ventures that solve real-world problems.
At the end of the bootcamp, participants demonstrated their knowledge through impressive presentations that showcased the integration of skills acquired across Data Science, AI, and IT Essentials. Many spoke passionately about how the programme had expanded their technical competence and sparked a drive to create job opportunities—not only for themselves but also for others—as entrepreneurs and digital solution providers in their communities.
Coinbase forecast a hit of between $180m and $400m from a cyberattack that breached account data of a “small subset” of its customers, the crypto exchange said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
The company received an anonymous email on May 11, claiming to have information about certain customer accounts as well as internal documents.
While some data — including names, addresses and emails — was stolen, the hackers did not get access to login credentials or passwords, Coinbase said.
Still, it will reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attackers.
Hackers had paid multiple contractors and employees working in support roles outside the US to collect information.
The company has fired those involved, it said.
Separately, the New York Times reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was investigating whether the company had misstated its user numbers.
Coinbase shares extended losses after the report and were last down 6.5%.
“This is a hold-over investigation from the prior administration about a metric we stopped reporting two-and-a-half years ago, which was fully disclosed to the public,” said Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer.
“While we strongly believe this investigation should not continue, we remain committed to working with the SEC to bring this matter to a close.”
The SEC declined to comment.
The latest developments come days before the company is set to join the benchmark S&P 500 index, casting a shadow over what was expected to be a landmark moment for the crypto industry.
Security remains a challenge for the crypto industry despite its growing mainstream acceptance.
In February, Bybit disclosed a hack in which about $1.5bn worth of digital tokens were stolen — widely described the biggest crypto heist ever.
“The cyberattack may push the industry to adopt stricter employee vetting and introduce some reputational risks,” said Bo Pei, an analyst at US Tiger Securities.
Funds stolen by hacking crypto platforms amounted to $2.2bn in 2024, according to a report from Chainalysis, a US-based blockchain analysis firm.
“As our nascent industry grows rapidly, it draws the eye of bad actors, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the scope of their attacks,” said Nick Jones, founder of crypto firm Zumo.
Coinbase has refused to pay a ransom of $20m demanded by the attackers and is working with law enforcement agencies. Instead it has established a $20m reward for information on the hackers.
The company is also opening a new support hub in the US and taking other measures to prevent such cyberattacks, it said.
The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) presents its report on .ng domain name registration and renewal statistics for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the continued expansion of Nigeria’s digital footprint. The data underscores a consistent and significant adoption of the nation’s Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), reinforcing its pivotal role in the burgeoning Nigerian digital economy.
During the period spanning January to March 2025, a total of 40,791 .ng domain names were recorded. This figure comprises 22,236 new registrations and 18,555 renewals, indicating a healthy balance between the acquisition of new digital identities and the sustained commitment of existing domain name holders to their online presence.
Analysis of the registration trends within the quarter reveals a notable upward trajectory, with a 13.92% increase in domain name registrations observed between February and March 2025.
This growth signifies an increasing recognition of the importance of a localized online identity by a diverse range of stakeholders, including individuals, startups, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and larger organizations.
Notably, the .com.ng extension continues to be the dominant choice, accounting for over 60% of both new registrations and renewals. This reaffirms its status as the preferred domain name extension for Nigerian businesses seeking to establish a credible and locally relevant online brand presence while maintaining global accessibility. The sustained popularity of .com.ng underscores its perceived value among Nigerian entrepreneurs and enterprises seeking to secure their digital real estate.
This upward trajectory isn’t happening by chance. The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has remained intentional in its drive for digital inclusion and domain adoption. Through public education, training via the .ng Academy, outreach campaigns, and partnerships with stakeholders across the tech ecosystem, NiRA has consistently advocated for the importance of owning a local domain. The current standing of .ng as the second most registered ccTLD in Africa reflects the efficacy of these efforts.
Digital adoption in Nigeria is no longer just about being online—it’s about owning your digital identity. And with a .ng domain, Nigerians are better positioned to assert that identity, connect with local and international audiences, and gain better control over their digital footprints.
As we look toward the rest of 2025, the Q1 results serve as a strong signal: more people are embracing the digital future, and the .ng domain is increasingly becoming their first step.
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