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KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

From London to Lagos: Why retailers everywhere must prepare for the next wave of cyberattacks

Recent cyberattacks on major UK retailers like Marks & Spencer and the Co-op aren’t just headline-grabbing stories, they provide a cautionary tale of the evolving threat landscape facing modern retail globally; For African retailers accelerating digital transformation, these incidents serve as a crucial case study in what can go wrong when uptime – not just data – is under attack

In April, two of Britain’s biggest retailers got hit by a massive cyberattack by the notorious Scattered Spider group, leading to substantial financial losses, operational disruptions and compromised customer data (http://apo-opa.co/40O1faD). M&S suffered losses of £300 million (http://apo-opa.co/40O1gLJ) (roughly R7.3 billion) due to the attack, with supply chains affected for…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Business-critical mails in spam folders: Why real emails look fake now

Even the best-written email may never reach its recipient if your authentication protocols aren’t properly configured

In the fight against phishing, forward-thinking organisations are winning. But there’s a twist. The heightened vigilance that has empowered employees to detect suspicious emails is now creating a new dilemma: legitimate, business-critical messages are being flagged, ignored, or buried in spam folders. And in today’s AI-fuelled cyber landscape, that reaction…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Social Engineering 2.0: When artificial intelligence becomes the ultimate manipulator

From fake bank alerts to long-lost Nigerian princes, these scams have traditionally relied on generic hooks and low-effort deceit. But that’s changed, and continues to

Once the domain of elite spies and con artists, social engineering is now in the hands of anyone with an internet connection – and AI is the accomplice. Supercharged by generative tools and deepfake technology, today’s social engineering attacks are no longer sloppy phishing attempts. They’re targeted, psychologically precise, and…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Perilous prompts: How generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leaking companies' secrets

Seemingly benign details can be stitched into detailed profiles by cybercriminals or data brokers – fuelling targeted phishing, identity theft, and sophisticated social engineering

Beneath the surface of GenAI’s outputs lies a massive, mostly unregulated engine powered by data – your data. And whether it’s through innocent prompts or habitual oversharing, users are feeding these machines with information that, in the wrong hands, becomes a security time bomb. A recent Harmonic report (https://apo-opa.co/3Sw1K4N) found…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

The Digital Divide's Dark Side: Cybersecurity in African Higher Education (By Anna Collard)

This initiative is guided by an Advisory Council of global universities, including Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, ensuring the content remains practical, culturally relevant, and aligned with the realities of student life

By Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist KnowBe4 Africa (www.KnowBe4.com). The digital revolution is transforming African education, with universities embracing online learning and digital systems. However, this progress brings a crucial challenge: cybersecurity. Are African higher education institutions (HEIs) prepared for the escalating cyber threats? The Growing Threat Landscape…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Why Empowered People Are the Real Cyber Superpower – Not a Liability

System-based interventions – such as smart prompts, real-time nudges, and in-the-moment coaching – can slow users down at critical decision points, helping them make safer choices

It's time to retire the tired narrative that employees are the “weakest link” in cybersecurity. They're not. They're simply the most frequently targeted. And that makes sense – if you’re a cybercriminal, why brute-force your way into secure systems when you can just trick a human? And that is why…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

A New Era of Manipulation: How Deepfakes and Disinformation Threaten Business (By Anna Collard)

The WEF’s 2024 Global Risk Report named misinformation and disinformation as the top global risk, surpassing even climate and geopolitical instability

By Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist, KnowBe4 Africa  (www.KnowBe4.com). Last weekend, at a typical South African braai (barbeque), I found myself in a heated conversation with someone highly educated—yet passionately defending a piece of Russian propaganda that had already been widely debunked. It was unsettling. The conversation quickly became…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Rethinking employee phishing tests: Is fear the best motivator?

Organisations must balance the effectiveness of phishing tests with the emotional impact they may have on employees

Employee phishing tests have gained popularity as a way for organisations to gauge how vulnerable their employees are to phishing attacks and improve their awareness of cybersecurity. However, some have questioned whether it is appropriate to use fear, shame and betrayal as methods when employees fail these simulated phishing tests.…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Broken Cyber Windows Theory (By Javvad Malik)

Traditional approaches often focus on punitive measures or dry, technical training that fails to engage employees

By Javvad Malik, Lead Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4 (www.KnowBe4.com). Have you ever walked down a street with broken windows, burnt out cars, graffiti and felt a bit uneasy? There's a reason for that, and it's not just about aesthetics. The Broken Windows Theory, introduced by social scientists James Q.…

KnowBe4
Source: KnowBe4 |

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-agents: A Game-Changer for Both Cybersecurity and Cybercrime (By Anna Collard)

The broader an AI’s reach through integrations and automation, the greater the potential threat of it going rogue, making robust oversight, security measures, and ethical AI governance essential in mitigating these risks

By Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist KnowBe4 Africa (www.KnowBe4.com). Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a tool—it is a gamechanger in our lives, our work as well as in both cybersecurity and cybercrime. While businesses leverage AI to enhance defences, cybercriminals are weaponising AI to make these attacks…