Tarsus Distribution has joined forces with Darktrace, a global leader in AI for cybersecurity, to bring enhanced cybersecurity solutions to Africa. This partnership will leverage the existing capabilities of both companies, making Darktrace’s innovative Self-Learning AI technology more accessible to Africa’s enterprises.
The collaboration will empower Tarsus’s reseller network across Africa to combat the growing cybersecurity threats effectively, offering network security, email security, and OT (operational technology) protection.
Andrew Potgieter, Business Unit Manager for Security and Software at Tarsus Distribution, commented, “Darktrace
has consistently demonstrated its leadership in the AI security space.
“The synergy between Darktrace’s ActiveAI Security Platform and our established channel network ensures that we are able to offer our partners truly cutting-edge cybersecurity.
“Together, we’re addressing an urgent need for advanced and proactive protection in the African market, which has been increasingly targeted by cyber-attacks.”
Darktrace’s technology distinguishes itself from conventional security solutions by being AI-native and learning an organisation’s patterns of life in order to adapt autonomously to both known and never-seen before seen threats.
This self-learning capability is especially valuable in regions like Africa, where a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals poses a challenge. Darktrace’s AI systems adapt to unique network behaviours, enabling a proactive response to threats without relying solely on rules and signatures.
Eloina Pesce, VP, Channel at Darktrace, added, “This partnership is a great step in scaling our operations across Africa, helping to provide our AI-driven solutions to key sectors such as government, mining, and finance. We’re partnering with Tarsus Distribution because they share our commitment to quality relationships and have the logistics reach needed to effectively support our clients. Africa is seeing a significant rise in cybersecurity incidents – we’ve seen a 60% increase in cyber threats from December 2023 to January 2024 alone. This collaboration will help organisations of all sizes defend against the evolving threat landscape.”
Tarsus Distribution is committed to supporting its resellers with training and resources to ensure the effective deployment and management of Darktrace’s solutions. This means offering tailored training sessions and hands-on support to help resellers become trusted cybersecurity advisors to their clients, particularly in sectors critical to Africa’s infrastructure, like mining and finance.
The rise in cyber threats makes this partnership timely, as Africa faces more than double the number of cyber-attacks compared to other parts of the world, often being used as a test bed for new threats. For example, in Q2 2024, the continent saw an average of 2,960 attacks per organisation per week, marking a 37% increase compared to the same period in 2023. South Africa alone faced 3,312 attacks per week on government entities, with a 90% surge in ransomware incidents, costing the country nearly 1% of its GDP. By combining Tarsus’s channel expertise and the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform, the partnership aims to deliver scalable, proactive, and effective security measures tailored to the unique challenges faced by African businesses.
