{"id":38014,"date":"2017-02-28T13:30:14","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T21:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=38014"},"modified":"2017-02-28T13:30:14","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T21:30:14","slug":"cyberspace-latest-conflict-frontier-african-continent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/cyberspace-latest-conflict-frontier-african-continent\/","title":{"rendered":"Is cyberspace the latest conflict frontier on the African continent?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cyberspace\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In August 2012, terrorist group, Boko Haram, reportedly hacked<\/a> into Nigeria\u2019s secret service and acquired private data on current and former personnel.<\/p>\n

In April 2016, a group calling itself \u201cAnonymous\u201d was able to hack<\/a> into the database of the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and steal sensitive data.<\/p>\n

More recently, a number of South African companies\u2019 systems were infiltrated by cyberattackers<\/a> and data held for ransom. The firms included Johnny Bags food manufacturers, DSV Global and Gebers & Partners.<\/p>\n

These incidents illustrate the risks that the use of cyberspace poses to the African continent in the 21st Century.<\/p>\n

To counter these risks, Africa has rolled out several initiatives. These include the adoption of an African Union convention on cyber security and personal data protection<\/a> and an initiative to harmonise<\/a> and ICT policy in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n

A number of countries have also taken initiatives at the local level to address cyber security threats. For example, Kenya <\/a> has created the National Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre to offer technical services. Similarly, Ethiopia<\/a> has created an agency to improve its cyber resilience.<\/p>\n

But cyber security systems in both the private and the public sectors are still below average in many countries. A 2016 cyber security report<\/a>, for example, shows that most Africa-based businesses and government online services have weak security features.<\/p>\n

These low levels of security, combined with increasing connectivity<\/a>, make Africa\u2019s cyberspace one of the most vulnerable to attack.<\/p>\n

The new frontier of attack<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cyberspace is the latest domain within which human beings operate. The others are land, sea, airspace and outer space. Unlike the other domains, cyberspace has unique features that make it an attractive frontier of attack.<\/p>\n

First, it\u2019s situated within the networks of computing devices that are now connected by the internet. Because the internet has global reach, attackers are able to roam cyberspace freely and attack computing systems in locations that would be impossible to access physically.<\/p>\n

Second, no passport is required to enter the cyberspace. This makes it possible for attackers to mask their identity, impersonate others and cheat their way into protected systems.<\/p>\n

Third, cyberspace facilitates communication between networked computing devices through electronic messages. This makes attacks speedier than conventional warfare.<\/p>\n

Finally, cyberspace networks use a decentralised network architecture. This enables attackers to continue functioning even when one network router is blocked or disabled.<\/p>\n

More importantly, with the growth in computing technology, essential services of most states<\/a> are now integrated into the cyberspace networks. This makes the cyberspace a strategic medium of attack.<\/p>\n

Cyberattacks on the rise<\/strong><\/p>\n

The United Nations<\/a> describes cyber attacks as those involving illegal behaviour that targets the security of computer systems and the data processed by them. These take various forms that include;<\/p>\n