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VC4Africa Releases Its Annual Venture Finance In Africa Report

May 23, 2016May 24, 2016 Dianne Jacobs

The 2016 Venture Finance in Africa research has been released by VC4Africa and it shows that growing investor interest in African startups is resulting in tangible investments. Data from the 2016 research shows that the total invested capital more than doubled from almost $27 million to almost $73 million, secured by 224 ventures who took part in the survey. The average amount invested per venture also increased from $200,000 to $326, 000. The data from the report showed that in terms of the number of ventures, ICT was leading with…

The 10 Startups To Pitch at Seedstars World South Africa Have Been Announced

May 23, 2016May 24, 2016 Dianne Jacobs

It’s an interesting month for startups in South Africa as Seedstars World, a global seed-stage startup competition begins its tour this week in Cape Town. The ten startups that will pitch to a panel of judges have been selected for the event that will take place at Workshop 17 as techmoran reports. After the pitching, the top three startups out of the ten will be invited to Johannesburg where they will compete against the best startups from Durban and Soweto. After these competitions, one startup will be named the most…

Vodacom Nigeria Trains 25 Female Students on IoT

May 20, 2016May 24, 2016 Dianne Jacobs

Vodacom Nigeria trained 25 female students on IoT as part of its support for the Girls In ICT program, Vanguard reports. The students learned how IoT is used in ensuring people’s safety and in securing the world today. The girls got a chance to tour the company’s facilities which exposed them to the importance of connectivity and data security. Vodacom hopes that by training female students in matters ICT, they will help in demystifying the myth that ICT is a male dominated field and in so doing encourage more female…

Cyber Crime Predicted To Reach $2 Trillion By 2019

April 22, 2016

During the last ten years, our lives have changed. The increased usage of the Internet made blurred some lines between the virtual and the real world making some processes faster. Ordinary people are enjoying this change, as life is becoming much easier for them. Large companies and enterprises experience some negative sides of such changes, though. They are preparing for a huge increase in cyber crime. General Crime Numbers Ginni Rometty, the Chairman of IBM Corp, mentioned in his recent interview that cyber crime wave, as they named it couple…

Developing Future African Leaders — Q&A with Wadzi Katsidzira of the African Leadership Academy

August 17, 2015August 17, 2016

Africa’s future is bright, but realizing its potential will require the development of a new generation of African leaders ready to compete in a global economy. African economies are among the fastest-growing in the world, and the continent’s potential is widely recognized. Achieving this bright future will require a new generation of African leaders that are equipped with the skills and knowledge to compete in an increasingly global economy. That’s where organizations like the African Leadership Academy (ALA) comes in, identifying some of the most promising youth from around the…

Simple Website Security Flaw Exposes Data Of Charter Internet Customers

May 27, 2015February 16, 2016 Staff Writer

A Website Security flaw discovered in the site of Charter Communications, a cable and Internet provider active in 28 states, may have exposed the personal account details of its customers. Security researcher Eric Taylor discovered the cable provider’s vulnerability as part of his research, and demonstrated how a simple header modification performed with a browser plug-in could reveal details about Charter’s Internet subscribers. After Fast Company notified Charter of the issue, the company said it had installed a fix within hours. The vulnerability could reveal personal information of “millions” of the…

Apple downplays Masque bug risk for users of iOS devices

November 14, 2014February 17, 2016

Apple has downplayed exploit fears stemming from the discovery of a security loophole which could trick users into downloading malicious apps on to their iOS devices. On Monday, security researchers at FireEye detailed the discovery of the Masque bug in a new report. The researchers said the bug, in which apps running on iOS 7.1.1 and later — including the latest iOS 8 — can be replaced with malicious, legitimate-looking applications. Once granted access to a user’s device, these apps could theoretically install malware or steal user data. The “Masque…

Russia and China Edge Out US With Proposed Cyber Security Pact

October 24, 2014February 17, 2016 Staff Writer

Russia and China look set to sign a bilateral cyber security agreement next month in a move which could further isolate the US on the world stage. Russian newspaper Kommersant, whose owner has ties to Vladamir Putin, cited sources “close to the Kremlin” as saying the “two-sided agreement” would probably be ready by November 10, when the president will be in Beijing to attend the APEC summit. Putin and China’s president Xi Jinping are also expected to hold a joint address on information security during the visit, the report said. The…

Right to Be Forgotten: Google must block a group of websites worldwide Rules Canadian Court

June 20, 2014March 3, 2016

On the heels of Europe’s “Right to Be Forgotten” ruling, a British Columbia court in Canada has ruled Google must block a group of websites worldwide. The case was opened by industrial networking devices manufacturer Equustek Solutions, Inc. to block a network of websites it claims are owned by former associates who stole trade secrets to illegally manufacture and sell competing products. According to a report from the The Globe and Mail, a temporary injunction against Google was issued last Friday in spite of Google’s protests that Canadian courts had no…