ESET East Africa has announced plans to set up a research and cyber-security operations centre (SOC) in Kenya. Teddy Njoroge, Country Manager, ESET East Africa, said the company will explore joint opportunities with like-minded partners and contribute assets in developing innovative cyber-security solutions targeting both blue chip businesses and Small and Medium Enterprises over the next one year.
In furtherance of this, ESET East Africa he said, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the @iLabAfrica centre of the Strathmore University aimed at enhancing the fight against cybercrime in Kenya.
“Through this MoU, we will support Strathmore University’s current academic programs on cyber-security, through collaborative research and benchmarking approaches on issues of local interest such as ethical hacking, phishing and ransomware studies”, said Njoroge.
ESET East Africa, is a recognized internet security solutions company with over 118 operational offices across the world. Strathmore university, an established institution of higher learning in Kenya provides courses and training infrastructure to meet the ever-growing demand for cyber-security solutions and specialists.
Estimates indicate that Kenya has just about 1000 certified cyber-security specialists, way lower than the optimal 40,000 needed.
“The rise of cyber-crime and related information security incidents in the country can be attributed to this shortage of personnel coupled by the slow development of homegrown research driven solutions” said Collins Oduor, the IT Security Manager, @iLabAfrica centre.
The institution offers customised cyber-security trainings in ethical hacking, computer hacking forensic investigation as well as certified security analyst courses to about 200 graduate and undergraduate students annually – drawn from the financial services sector, government agencies and academia.
Among other agreements, under the MoU with ESET East Africa, @iLabAfrica Centre plans to develop and introduce additional courses on emerging technologies and skills to tackle new cyber threats such as Internet of Things (IoT) Security, Security for Industrial Control Systems, Cybersecurity for Executives, Advance Malware Analysis and Secure Application Development among others.
ESET, founded in 1992, is an Internet Security company headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia. It offers anti-virus and firewall products such as ESET NOD32 and competes in the antivirus (threat detection software) industry.
@iLabAfrica is a centre established in January 2011 under the Faculty of Information Technology at Strathmore University. The centre spearheads Research and Innovation in the ICT for the Development (ICT4D) ecosystem towards the attainment of the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Kenya’s Vision 2030. It’s focus areas are on ICT Research and Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship, as well as ICT Policy Research.
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