Author: Staff Writer
In Q4, Microsoft was again the brand most frequently targeted by cybercriminals, as it was in Q3, according to a recent report. Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies, a provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, has published its new Brand Phishing Report for Q4 2020. The report highlights the brands, which were most frequently imitated by criminals in their attempts to steal individuals’ personal information or payment credentials during October, November and December. The report states that forty-three percent of all brand phishing attempts related to the technology giant (up from 19% in Q3), as…
South Africa’s Information Regulator has announced that it met Facebook South Africa on Wednesday to discuss its revised WhatsApp privacy policy. WhatsApp’s revised private policy sparked a global outcry after the popular Facebook-owned messaging app alerted its 2 billion users to accept the new terms if they wanted to continue using it. According to reports, WhatsApp will now share data with Facebook. “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies,” Ars Technica quoted the new privacy policy. “We may use the information we receive from them, and they…
Africa’s largest data science academy EXPLORE Data Science Academy has added Data Engineering to its online training offerings. Starting Monday, January 18, 2021, the 12-month course will provide applicants with the specific skill set required to become data engineers – a key role in the successful digital transformation of a business. Shaun Dippnall, CEO of EXPLORE Data Science Academy, explains, “The use of vast quantities of data by data scientists now requires those with a specialised skill set to organise data and ensure its quality, security and availability to the organisation. These are data engineers.” According to Dippnall apart from the skill…
As one of the pioneers in the use of a smartphone as a digital vehicle key since 2018, BMW is pressing ahead with the development and popularisation of its BMW Digital Key feature, which is available to iPhone users today. In line with this goal, the premium car manufacturer will introduce the BMW Digital Key Plus, a convenient and secure way to unlock and start your car without taking your iPhone out of your bag or pocket. This latest incarnation of the service is based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, the technology found on the U1 chip of iPhone. The BMW Digital Key Plus feature…
F5 Networks is buying privately distributed cloud services platform Volterra for $500 million (R7,6 billion). With the addition of Volterra’s technology platform, F5 Networks is creating an edge platform built for enterprises and service providers that will be security-first and app-driven with unlimited scale. F5 Networks also reiterated its commitment to return $1 billion of capital over the next two years, including the initiation of a $500 million accelerated share repurchase in fiscal year 2021. “Current edge solutions are simply inadequate for today’s enterprise customers. It’s time to break out of closed edge systems that only perpetuate the pain of…
Seattle Coffee Company understands that while its business is coffee, customer service is equally as critical. To this end, it has partnered with Transaction Junction to make both payments and tipping a simple and easy process. In the hospitality industry, the need to focus on customer service is paramount, and delivering such service effectively is predicated on two specific angles. The first of these lies in having well-trained, focused staff to ensure that all the customer’s requirements are adequately met. The second lies in facilitating a manageable payment, regardless of which payment method the customer chooses to use. For Seattle…
The number of South African school students succeeding in maths at a school level is in steady decline. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed even more strain on learners wanting to improve and further their maths skills. Summarising the Department of Basic Education’s school report of 2019, the department claims that since 2015 there has been a steady decline each year in the number of students who sit and write exams for subjects vital to the growth of the economy such as maths and science. To participate in easing this economic concern, Ivy Academy has stepped in to fill the gap…
MTN announced on Monday that it will reward customers who download the COVID-19 Alert SA app with 1GB of free data for their efforts in fighting the pandemic. The COVID Alert SA app, which was designed by Discovery for the National Department of Health, uses Bluetooth contact-tracing technology. The app lets people know when they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It does this in a way that always preserves app user privacy and anonymity. “One of the critical aspects of combatting COVID-19 is the ability to detect positive cases early and to isolate…
Top Sub-Saharan African banks suffered a 15% drop in fees from advising on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2020 as a fall in overall dealmaking transactions ate into their revenues. An estimated $523.7 million (R8 billion) worth of investment banking fees were earned in Sub-Saharan Africa during 2020, down 15% from 2019 and the lowest annual total in six years, according to data provider Refinitiv. Fee declines were recorded across M&A advisory, debt capital markets underwriting, and syndicated lending. Advisory fees earned from completed M&A transactions generated $108.3 million (R1,6 billion), down 55% year-on-year to the lowest level since 2013. …
MyBroadband Insights has released the 2020 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows that MTN has the best mobile phone network in South Africa. The report is based on 1.2 million speed tests which were performed by 41,000 MyBroadband Speed Test App users across South Africa between 1 January and 31 December 2020. The research shows that South Africa had an average download speed of 29.33Mbps and an average upload speed of 11.24Mbps last year. MTN had the highest average download speed at 52.84Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 29.39Mbps, Telkom on 21.58Mbps, Cell C on 17.46Mbps, and Rain on 11.90Mbps. During…