Cyber Crime and Cyber Security

The SA Cybercrimes Bill awaits the President’s signature, which is expected soon. The Cybersecurity Bill still needs some revision before it too will be adopted. EFSA will publish a report on each Act as they pass through, thanks to a new agreement we have reached with the law firm, Endcode. Together we will also be providing training courses starting next year on essential issues such as the application of the privacy law, POPIA.

Meanwhile, to continue our coverage of cyber security, we learn that software that eats up mobile data and registers people for unwanted subscriptions has continued to be found pre-installed on thousands of low-cost Chinese smartphones in Africa more than 2 years after it was first detected. The Triada malware signs mobile users up to subscription services without their permission and has been discovered on Tecno W2 smartphones in South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroon and other countries, according to a BuzzFeed/Secure-D report. The anti-fraud platform that conducted the research recorded 19.2 million suspicious transactions since March 2019 from over 200,000 unique devices. China’s Transsion Holdings manufactures the Android devices, which dominate Africa’s smartphone market with a 41% share, according to market research firm IDC. Shenzhen-based Transsion has ignored its home market to focus almost exclusively on Africa. It sells more affordable handsets than rivals such as Samsung and Apple under the brand Tecno Mobile. Transsion listed on China’s version of the Nasdaq last year