CyberScape Africa Magazine Q2 2019 | Page 16

CYBER SCAPE AFRICA | Q2 East Africa as an Export Center of Cyber Talent A survey carried in out in 2017 indicated that 95% of African organizations operated below globally acceptable cyber security standard. The cost of cyber crime had sky rocketed from a $ 2 billion in 2016 to $ 3.5 billion in 2017. East Africa nations – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were on the top 5 list with a total loss of $ 376 billion. During the same period UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade & Development) reported that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow in Africa slumped to $42 billion in 2017, a 21% decline from 2016. Cost of cybercrime in Africa has a direct correlation with FDI inflow as well as the economic growth of the continent. 16 2019 www.yelbridges.com The Cyber4Growth project was launched to promote economic growth in East Africa by improving cyber resilience among organizations in the region. The project was funded by German government through KFW DEG and other German corporates - SEC Consult, Tuv Rheinland, CYRISO(just to name a few). The project offered private and public organizations in E.Africa with hands-on training which is absolutely essential to raise the level of security awareness on one hand, but also to promote the economic compet- itiveness on the other.