The Computer Society of Kenya

Since 1986

Artificial intelligence opens new frontier in cyberdefence

cybersecurityBUSINESS DAILY By PHYLIS MIGWI

Tuesday March 20 2024

Over the past few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the battleground for both cybercriminals and defenders. While nefarious actors have found increasingly inventive ways to put AI to use, new research shows that AI is modifying the abilities of security teams, transforming them into ‘super defenders’ that are faster and more effective.

The latest research shows that, regardless of their expertise level, security analysts are around 44 percent more accurate and 26 percent faster when using Copilot for Security. This is good news for IT teams at firms across the continent who are up against rising insidious threats.

Deepfakes alone increased tenfold over the past year, with the Sumsub Identity Fraud Report showing that the highest number of attacks were recorded in African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria.

Such attacks can have drastic financial implications for unsuspecting businesses. Recently, an employee at a multinational firm was scammed into paying $25 million (Sh3.25 billion) to a cybercriminal who used Deepfake to pose as a coworker at a video conference call.

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Bet on enterprises as AI race first movers

ai-1BUSINESS DAILY By MBUGUA NJIHIA

Transformative technologies often begin as playthings —toys and tools that a few people experiment with to discover novel uses. However, for these technologies to gain widespread adoption, they must unlock better utility and become part of the mainstream.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is firmly on its way to achieving this. From basic real-time image manipulation user experiences that led to popular mobile apps like Prisma to smart assistants like Microsoft’s Co-pilot and Google’s Gemini, embedded in productivity apps and platforms like GitHub. There are moonshot implementations like self-driving cars and bespoke medicine, but the depth of AI's utility here is arguably not yet fully democratised.

The fourth edition of the National Digital Summit, titled ‘Synergies in Digital Transformation and AI’, was a meeting point for technology leaders, C-suite executives, academia, and vendors looking to explore the pace and value of digital transformation and the role of AI in the extended tech toolkit.

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Kenya moves to regulate Bitcoin trade on grey listing risk

bitpxBUSINESS DAILY By PATRICK ALUSHULA

Monday February 19,2024

Kenya is working on new regulations to police trading in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin on growing fears that the increased transactions in virtual assets in the country could increase risks of money laundering and terrorism financing.

A technical working group set up to advise the Treasury on cryptocurrency is currently preparing the draft regulations to be forwarded to the Cabinet for adoption, marking one of the key interventions in addressing weaknesses in its financial system.

“Right now, there is a sectoral working group that is working on developing a policy document to guide on developing a legal framework which will prescribe what needs to be done and who will be the regulator for digital assets providers,” said the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC) director-general, Saitoti Maika.

“Probably, we may end up with a stand-alone regulator for virtual assets. We can’t bury our heads in the sand. The more we fail to regulate, the more we risk being punished.”

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The importance of API security in the age of digital transformation

bdcyberattackBUSINESS DAILY By BRENCIL KAIMBA & By PETER OJEKUNLE

Digital transformation has become a key driver for companies in the financial services sector to create and capture value. At the heart of this transformation is the increased adoption of APIs [application programming interfaces].

APIs are software intermediaries that allow two different applications to communicate with each other. Every time you use a rideshare app like Uber, send a mobile payment or check your bank balance from your phone, you’re using an API.

However, as the usage of APIs increases, so does the risk of cyberattacks. Hackers are targeting APIs due to their valuable data and functionality, lack of proper security measures, integration complexity, third-party risks, and skills gap. APIs often provide access to sensitive data and critical business functionalities. They can expose customer information, financial data, and even allow the execution of actions with significant consequences.

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Why IT experts want State to reject the new robotics bill

aiBUSINESS DAILY By EDWIN MUTAI

Wednesday February 07 2024

Information Technology experts have asked Parliament to reject the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Society Bill, 2023 on grounds that it has a lot of glaring gaps.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) says the Bill will precipitate a national disaster if it is enacted in its current form.

The experts told the National Assembly’s Communication, Information, and Innovation (CII) committee that stakeholders in the AI and Robotics space were not involved at any stage before coming up with the Bill.

The experts appeared before the committee chaired by Dagoreti South MP John Kiarie during a session to mark this year’s International Safer Internet Day.

Alex Gakuru, who is the Director Center for Law in Information Technology and leader of the delegation of AMCHAM, told the session that the Bill should be withdrawn pending further consultation with stakeholders.

“This specific Bill was conveyed to Parliament through a citizen petition under public Petition NO. 75 of 2023. It was filed by Fred Ondieki Sakwe and is now before the Public Petitions Committee,” Mr Gakuru, a lecturer at the Kenya School of Law, told the committee. “This Bill will spell a national disaster and if implemented as proposed, it will take us years back.”

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