Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Nigeria’s NITDA has signed an MoU with Kaspersky Global to enhance cybersecurity capacity, including training, awareness campaigns, research, and intelligence sharing. With cybercrime costing Nigeria an estimated $500 million annually, the partnership aligns with broader reforms and international collaborations to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience.
Kaspersky has warned Sri Lanka of rising cyber threats tied to mobile banking and shopping, citing a 3.6x increase in banking Trojans in 2024. It urges regulators, corporations, and consumers to adopt stronger security measures, including national guidelines, collaboration, and greater user vigilance.
The UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute, VentureOne, and e& have launched QuantumConnect, a quantum key distribution-based encryption solution. Developed locally, it embeds hardware on fibre networks to deliver future-proof protection against quantum threats, ensuring compliance with UAE cryptography regulations and enhancing data security across regulated industries like finance and healthcare.
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Cisco have launched Indonesia’s first sovereign SOC, powered by Splunk Cloud, to deliver AI-driven threat detection while keeping national data under local jurisdiction. The initiative also supports training one million Indonesians in cybersecurity and networking by 2030.
Orange SA has suffered a ransomware attack linked to Warlock, with hackers leaking 4GB of business user data. The company says the stolen information was outdated and of low sensitivity but admitted multiple breaches this year across its European operations.
Exabeam’s global survey shows insider threats now surpass external attacks as the biggest cybersecurity challenge, with AI accelerating their effectiveness. Middle Eastern professionals cite unauthorized GenAI usage as their top insider risk, highlighting the urgent need for AI-aware security strategies.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense has unveiled a cybersecurity-focused roadmap as part of its 2025–2030 vision. The strategy prioritizes infrastructure protection, real-time threat detection, secure communications, and cyber workforce development, backed by partnerships with global technology leaders and oversight from senior MoD officials.
The EU and BTRC have held talks on data protection, cybersecurity, and the digital economy. The EU reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s broadband, 5G, and connectivity goals, pledging technical expertise under its Global Gateway strategy to help build a secure and inclusive digital future.
Bangladesh’s financial sector faces escalating cyber risks as experts warn of underinvestment, skills shortages, and systemic flaws. With only 5% of banking IT budgets devoted to security and millions of identities already leaked online, urgent reforms, national collaboration, and dedicated institutions are needed to secure the country’s digital future.
The University of Rabat and Cisco have launched a local Incubation Centre to advance AI and cybersecurity. The partnership includes the Cisco Networking Academy, offering ICT and advanced tech training as part of Cisco’s global Country Digital Acceleration program to support Morocco’s digital transformation.