Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 44 | Page 67

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ASSOCIATED LOCKDOWNS HAVE DRIVEN A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE PRIORITIES OF ORGANISATIONS AROUND THE WORLD – AND AFRICA IS NO DIFFERENT .

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TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CYBERSECURITY

Organisations across the region are grappling with a dramatically expanded digital attack surface and , as Digital Transformation initiatives continue , it ’ s important that CIOs know where the threats are coming from and how to keep them at bay . Perry Hutton , Regional Vice President – Africa at Fortinet , tells us how Fortinet ’ s Virtual Security Day , being held this month , will give customers and partners an overview of the key trends and challenges facing Africa ’ s CxOs right now .

hHow are businesses in Africa

digitally transforming ?
Digital innovations are changing the way we do business , go about activities , manufacture goods , communicate and more . Organisations across Africa are moving to innovate digitally , there ’ s no question about it . However , there are 55 countries – and therefore 55 different advancement rates – across Africa .
In Africa we still have far less Internet connectivity across the masses than anywhere else , with less than a third of people having broadband access . This is behind much of the rest of world and
www . intelligentcio . com is a real challenge to being able to take advantage of what technology has to offer .
Reliable power and the cost of Internet access are also challenges experienced across Africa , impacting the pace of digital innovation throughout economies – from financial services , manufacturing and retail , through to healthcare and public service delivery .
Are there any particular unique threats in this region that security teams are grappling with ?
As emerging economies , organisations across Africa may face increased security and

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ASSOCIATED LOCKDOWNS HAVE DRIVEN A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE PRIORITIES OF ORGANISATIONS AROUND THE WORLD – AND AFRICA IS NO DIFFERENT .

INTELLIGENTCIO 67