Understanding the Challenge of Cybersecurity in Africa: A Holistic Analysis of Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Foundation for Future Research

Abstract

The continuous shift towards a world relying on computing leads to an increase of the potential risk factors that users face while roaming the digital world. The constant technological innovation we are witnessing creates the necessity of developing reliable systems, strategies, and frameworks against nefarious users threatening the security of information and data. Emerging countries begin to face issues related to cyber warfare and security. This study provides insight into the technological risk factors that could potentially delay further development in the technological growth of developing nations, focusing on selected countries in the African continent. The threats against confidentiality, integrity, and availability do not have an impact exclusively on information systems but, to a larger scale, on a region’s efforts for innovation. This paper intends to provide the readers a holistic review of the status of cyber security in the context of developing countries, specifically in the African continent and the Southern African Development Community.

Keywords

• information security
• cyber security
• cybercrime
• africa
• developing countries