The importance of accelerated underwriting
The adoption of accelerated, or automated underwriting, which uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to evaluate risk and underwrite life insurance, has been limited to date. By Patrick Ashton, UK operations at Alula Insurance...
Avoid BEC attacks with good email hygiene
Business email compromise (BEC), where criminals steal money by simply 'asking for it', is on the rise. According to an Interpol report, BEC is one of the top five digital threats in Africa - and South Africa is the most likely target, shouldering 34% of the...
Best practices for cyber incident readiness
t is time to say goodbye to the incident response plans of “cyber past” and welcome a new approach. This is the word from Spiros Fatouros, Marsh Africa CEO, who says: “Incident response planning is one of the 12-cybersecurity controls that most cyber insurers ask...
Identity theft puts South Africans at risk
Identity theft in South Africa continues to rise, despite numerous warnings and efforts to protect consumers. Reports suggest that someone's identity is stolen somewhere in the world every two seconds. Recent statistics from the National Council on Identity Theft...
Put safety first over the festive season
The end-of-year period has earned itself a notorious reputation as the 'silly season' - and for good reason. Insurance claim data is indicative of a trend that sees a noticeable upsurge in motor vehicle accidents and home burglaries over the festive season. For South...
Simple data protection tips could save millions
South Africa has in recent times become a playground for cybercriminal activities, with syndicates targeting South Africans, companies, and organisations, stealing personal data by hacking into computer systems and causing data breaches. This poses a threat to the...
5G technologies: what do businesses need to know?
The global rollout of the 5G network promises to be transformative, with unprecedented levels of speed, capacity and potential - but the interdependent nature of the technologies involved also brings a proliferation of risks. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty...
Guarding against fraud and corruption can bolster trust with stakeholders
Fraud is no antiquated concept. Its origins date back far beyond the invention of money and digital currencies. By Trevor Hills, PwC South Africa's forensics leader However, at times, fraud and corruption can be seen as a topic society would prefer not to deal with....
Hack yourself regularly to stay safe
With South Africa being a favoured target for cyber attackers globally, and with the threats growing in both volume and sophistication, local organisations must do more to mitigate against these attacks. By Richard Frost, product head: cybersecurity at Armata In...
Global insolvencies should prompt SA companies to re-evaluate IT risk
The increase in insolvencies worldwide should prompt directors of South African companies to re-look how they will secure their own business continuity should any of their key suppliers fold and stop providing them with mission-critical systems. And, while doing so,...
Will we ever see an end to cyber-attacks?
Cybercrime is continuously expanding, and attackers are constantly 'improving' their capabilities to take advantage of limited cybersecurity awareness among businesses. By Nomthi Nelwamondo, group CIO of Assupol The rise in cyber-attacks is mainly attributed to a...
Privacy-obsessed South Africans may be exposing themselves to additional risk
Banks, medical aids, insurance companies and many others have spent millions educating their customers about new and evolving security risks. But South African consumers are now so hyper aware of protecting their personal data, that many are inadvertently disabling...