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Startups are bringing mobile banking to the last mile in Africa

June 5, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

Mobile banking has provided financial inclusion for developing countries. A new wave of startups is now taking the tech beyond mobile wallets. When Ismail Ahmed moved from Somalia to England in 1988, he regularly sent money back home. He experienced exorbitant fees, transfer offices with erratic opening hours, and was often worried about how easily his family would be able to retrieve the money. In 2010 Ahmed founded WorldRemit, an online service that allows users to send money internationally via a PC or phone. Today, more than 250,000 transactions flow…

DotConnectAfrica joins the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the CBC TECH 2020 Launch in Washington DC

May 29, 2015February 16, 2016

DotConnectAfrica Trust joined, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Tuesday, May 19 2015, at the launch of CBC TECH 2020, a new initiative aimed at engaging the tech sector in increasing African-American representation and inclusion in the industry. The event was held at Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue Washington, DC 20540. Photo: Congressman G. K. Butterfield, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the Tech 2020 launch The CBC Diversity Task Force Members include Rep. G. K. Butterfield (NC), CBC Chairman, Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), Co-Chair,…

Is Quantum computing about to make big trouble for cybersecurity?

May 12, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

There is a race to build quantum computers, and (as far as we know) it isn’t the NSA that is in the lead. Competing are big tech companies such as IBM, Google, and Microsoft; startups; defense contractors; and universities. One Canadian startup says that it has already developed a first version of a quantum computer. A physicist at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Ronald Hanson, told Scientific American that he will be able to make the building blocks of a universal quantum computer in just five years and a fully-functional demonstration machine…

Announcement of keynote speakers for E-Learning 2015 Conference includes Sophia Bekele

April 20, 2015May 16, 2016 Staff Writer

CIO East Africa, one of the media sponsors for the event, reported on the announcement from organizers that the keynote speakers at this international conference of E-Learning Africa 2015. The event the will take place from 20 – 22 May in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the keynote speakers include Ms. Sophia Bekele, Founder/CEO of DotConnectAfrica Group & CBS International USA, Founder of Yes2dotAfrica Campaign; Ethiopia/USA, Mr. Shai Reshef, University of the People, USA; and Mark Surman of the Mozilla Foundation, USA. CIO Reports: One of the interesting scenes in this event…

Website not mobile friendly? Google is making major Algorithmic change to rank you lower

April 20, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

On Tuesday, April 21, Google is making a major update to its mobile search algorithm that will change the order in which websites are ranked when users search for something from their phone or tablet, making it mobile friendly. The algorithm will start favoring mobile-friendly websites (ones with large text, easy-to-click links, and that resize to fit whatever screen they’re viewed on) and ranking them higher in search. Websites that aren’t mobile-friendly will get demoted. About 60% of online traffic now comes from mobile and Google wants users to have a good…

Big Market Research: Internet Security Market Expected to Grow Positively Despite a Rise in Hacks

April 15, 2015February 16, 2016

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Big Market Research adds a report titled “Global Internet Security Market – Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020.” The report states that the market would attain a value of $42.8 billion by 2020 with a CAGR of 8.1% during the year 2014 – 2020. As of now, software solution dominates the market. However it is mentioned in the report that the cloud based system would register more growth during the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141014/710132 ) The widespread application of…

Russians Implicated In White House Hack After Obama Makes Cybersecurity Executive Order

April 8, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

The same Russian hackers who breached the State Department system for months also gained access to an unclassifed White House computer system, according to a report from CNN. Although the system did not contain classified information, the Russians reportedly had access to the president’s private schedule. The connected cyberattack on the State Department in recent months has been characterized as the “worst ever” hack on a federal agency. The White House is no stranger to attacks from foreign spies. The Chinese have been implicated in several high profile attacks of White House unclassified systems and employee emails. News…

EU hopes to abolish Internet geoblocking as it stands in the way of a modern digital market

March 27, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

The European Commission has said it is resolved to do away with the common practice of the user IP-based blocking of some digital content on the Internet. It said geoblocking stood in the way of a modern digital market. The EU executive announced Wednesday it had reached a decision in principle to tear down national Internet usage barriers by scrapping the widespread practice of what’s become known as geoblocking. It’s a method of preventing users from accessing certain websites, videos, music and other content based on their location and has…

CIO: The Cybercrime Economy Personified

March 5, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

While the Center for Strategic & International Studies and McAfee estimated the annual cost to the global economy from cybercrime at $375 billion conservatively and $575 billion maximally as of June 2014, at least one expert stands by cost figures that are many times those numbers. “U.S. companies and the U.S. economy lose approximately $500 billion each year to theft of trade secrets and innovation. This includes all forms of economic espionage where cybercrime plays a major factor. When you factor the 10-year life of the investment in innovation, the…