New research from Microsoft reveals that attackers are increasingly making use of operational technology to gain new entryways into company networks.
Microsoft’s latest Cyber Signals report highlights how cybercriminals are using Operational Technology (OT) as gateways into an organization’s network. This comes at a time when IoT connections in the region are growing with the GSMA predicting that 1.1 billion IoT connections are expected by 2025 in MENA. It’s this growth in OT and IoT that has given cybercriminals more opportunities to breach an organization’s network.
Microsoft’s Cyber Signals report is a regular cyberthreat intelligence brief spotlighting security trends and insights gathered from Microsoft’s 65 trillion daily security signals and 8,500 security experts. The latest edition has found that converging IT, Internet of Things (IoT) and OT systems pose a wider risk to critical infrastructure.
For CIOs in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the impact of a possible security breach is top of mind in an increasingly complex threat environment. This can be seen in the 11.2 percent rise in cybersecurity spending in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for 2022.
The growing rate of digital transformation within the African region is facilitating the emergence of new attack vectors and opportunities for cybercriminals. The Kenyan government has identified cybersecurity as a key enabler for digital economy. Kenya faces increased cybersecurity challenges and risks that threaten national security and the country’s digital transformation agenda. Cybersecurity statistics indicate that the number of cyber threats detected in Kenya has significantly increased in the last three years. The Communications Authority of Kenya reported 278,030,354 threats detected in the period from July to September 2022, an increase of 99.478% from threats detected between April to June of the same year.
The increase in digital transformation across the region has enabled organizations to manage their buildings, emergency systems and access control with smart devices connected to a network. In addition, we have seen an increase in IoT devices in the workplace to better enable hybrid work such as smart conference rooms with microphones and cameras.
As the threat landscape continues to expand and become more complex, organizations need to rethink their cyber risk approach to stay one step ahead of would-be attackers. Cyber Signals found that there are currently over 1 million connected devices publicly visible on the Internet running Boa, an outdated and unsupported software still widely used in IoT devices and software development kits.
“Organizations are more connected than ever before. From the humble Wi-Fi router to the everyday office printer, IT teams need to view their IoT devices differently and secure them as they would any company laptop to prevent security breaches,” says Phyllis Migwi, Country Manager for Microsoft Kenya. “Gaining complete visibility of an organization’s OT systems and protecting its IoT solutions will go a long way in preventing cyberattacks.”
Meet the smart multi-plug outlet power extender that has it all, the Huntkey 7-in-1 smart Multi-Plug Outlet Extender SMD407C. The smart outlet extender comes with high-speed charging, safety points, and surge protection plus it is suitable for any occasion.
The Huntkey SMD407C comes with 4 AC outlets, 2 USB A, and 1 USB C charging port. It offers 30W USB C high-speed charging, a cradle ledge to place your phone, and 1080J surge protection. Its 7-point safety system provides you with over-voltage, over-current, over-temperature, surge and short-circuit protection. It also offers fire resistance and grounded protection.
The cradle ledge lets you place the smartphone solidly and stably when the mobile phone data cable is not long enough.
Huntkey, a manufacturer of PC power supplies, power strips, surge protectors, laptop adapters, phone chargers, displays, and air purifiers, created the 7-in-1 smart Multi-Plug Outlet Extender SMD407C. The company realized people want to reduce the time it takes to fully charge their devices and thanks to an increase in technological advancements this is possible.
For example, the latest iPhone 14 series can support up to 27W charging power. The USB-C port on the SMD407C delivers 30W max output. This means it can fast charge your electronic devices from 0 up to 60% in about 30 minutes. Which is 3 times faster than the original 5W charger.
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Jeff Teper, Microsoft Corporate Vice President called the pi-top [4] one of the “coolest” new computer devices of last year. That’s after seeing the device in action at the annual .NET Conf in November last year.
The pi-top [4] Robotics Kit is a Robotics Kit and Expansion Plate designed to introduce robotics and mechanical engineering to new developers. It will officially launch today at the first-ever virtual edition of CES.
The unique robotics toolset combines all the power of the Raspberry Pi with the robust modularity of LEGO Technic. It works when plugged into the pi-top [4], the world’s first Raspberry Pi 4 powered, go anywhere, do anything computer.
The pi-top combo caught the attention of Teper, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive, at the .NET Conf in November 2020. After catching a sneak preview of remote Computer Science with pi-top smart rover, .NET interactive Microsoft Bot & Microsoft Teams, Teper said that “in the last year of seeing so much creativity in remote education via #MicrosoftTeams this is one of the coolest yet.”
The pi-top [4] has already become a popular portable computer amongst the making community and in schools worldwide since it was launched in 2019. Makers and pupils alike are able to create a wide variety of electronics projects using an ever-expanding range of kits and accessories. These include a ‘bento box’ of components including LEDS, buzzers, connectors and sensors, the pi-top FHD Touch Display and Bluetooth Keyboard.
Coupled with the revolutionary new pi-top [4] Robotics Kit, makers will now be able to go that one step further in their creations thanks to the device’s own amazing electronic components such as a wide-angle camera, servos and motors. The kit itself is made up of strong metallic build plates and brackets that snap together with rivets in a limitless number of configurations.
Whether designing an automated vehicle, creating a smart city, or making the coolest drone in the class, pi-top [4] Robotics Kit will be able to help.
Jesse Lozano, the co-founder of pi-top, said: “We’re really excited about the launch of the pi-top [4] Robotics Kit. It’s the culmination of years of work by everyone at pi-top and feels like the final piece of the puzzle. Our pi-top family is complete (for the moment)!
“The sky’s the limit for anyone using our pi-top [4] computer in conjunction with the pi-top [4] Robotics Kit. Whether it’s a robot you’d like to make, or an environmental station or autonomous vehicle, they’re the only tools you need.
“We can’t wait to see what makers will create with our Raspberry pi powered toolset.”
Another factor that makes the pi-top [4] Robotics Kit stand out from other products on the market is that it offers users unique access to a powerful suite of open-source libraries. Makers will have the choice of working in any open-source software from Python to Robot Operating System (ROS) and even full deployment in a .NET environment.
Pi-top’s Robotics Kit is the culmination of more than six years of work which began in 2014 when Lozano and co-founder Ryan Dunwoody set out to create the world’s first 3D printed laptop. pi-top now employs a global team and their products are used around the world in thousands of homes, maker spaces and schools.
The pi-top [4] Robotics Kit with Expansion Plate will be available to buy in the US for $199.90 from Amazon, b8ta stores, Newark, Digi-Key, Chicago Electronics and Arrow. Other international outlets include Elmwood Electronics in Canada, Farnell in the UK and The Brainary in Australia (pi-top [4] required and sold separately).
The 51st edition of CES – the world’s most influential tech event – will take place exclusively online from January 11th to 14th 2021. To find out more about the event, go to the website here
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Microsoft hosts a media round table event throwing light on its endeavours in the agricultural sector in Africa. With partners, Amiran Kenya Limited and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) joining Microsoft to share on their partnership journey in Kenya.
At a time where industries are called to relook operation models to survive, the agricultural sector has emerged as key to long-term growth in Africa and the world. Recognising the need for continuous investment in this area, particularly through technology, Microsoft today hosted a virtual roundtable – further reaffirming its commitment to digitally transforming the sector.
On the continent, investments in agriculture technology have grown year-on-year. This is evident in the number of agri-tech start ups increasing by 110 percent in the past two years. Furthermore, according to World Bank estimates, food production and processing in Africa currently generates over $300 billion annually, but that figure could rise to $1 trillion a year by 2030 if farmers are given the right access to inputs and resources.
Speaking at the event, Amrote Abdella, Regional Director at Microsoft 4Afrika noted that a long-term approach is key to enabling lasting change and impact in the sector.
“Our strategy has always been to build deep partnerships with leading industry, governmental and non-governmental organisations; invest in infrastructure with a focus on solving unique challenges with globally-relevant approaches and build a relevant solution ecosystem. Investing in skills and agri-tech and the sector at large falls directly into this strategy.”
“With the sector sustaining 70 per cent of Africa’s livelihoods, we’ve taken the lead to develop a data-driven, connected farming that optimises yields, boosts farm productivity and increases profitability. Leveraging our extensive partnerships and initiatives network, we are committed to ensuring that all farming communities are equipped with the latest tools like AI, IoT and edge computing to improve productivity and sustainability across the sector,” continues Abdella.
The organisation has worked with various partners and customers across the region to realise this strategy and ensure access to the solutions developed. On a regional level, through its partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Microsoft is exploring the use of big data and artificial intelligence in enabling data-driven, precision farming to support and increase farm productivity and profitability. The partnership also supports farmers in adopting new technologies through digital training content, develops digital skills in agriculture through an internship programme and supports policy advocacy and government engagement around the design of national agriculture digitisation strategies. The collaboration continues to support AGRA’s digital transformation as it works to improve food security for 30 million farming households across 11 countries by 2021.
“Our work with Microsoft has allowed us to deepen each area of work we have begun together both technically and geographically. Drawing on Microsoft’s digital architecture support on digital ecosystems and big data platforms has been beneficial for our organisation internally and externally, to the farmers,” says Vanessa Adams, Vice President Strategic Partnerships and Chief of Party, AGRA.
The organisation, through its 4Afrika initiative also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives (MALFC) to collaborate in accelerating innovation in the agricultural sector in Kenya. As a partner to MALFC, 4Afrika is promoting sustainable growth and development in this sector – helping to preserve its socio-economic value and accelerate much-needed innovation in farming. Microsoft have been designing, piloting and launching a programme to drive innovation that addresses key challenges, such as pests and disease control, sustainable agricultural resource management, agri-weather data, and others.
Locally, SunCulture helps farmers improve their crop yields through solar-powered irrigation systems. Using IoT technology, SunCulture customers are generating 10x more annual income, experiencing a
300% increase in crop yields and saving 17 hours of manually moving water per week. And by leveraging TV white spaces (TVWS) technology that expands high-speed internet access to underserved areas, SunCulture is bringing precision farming to more smallholder farmers.
Another example from Kenya concerns Twiga Foods , a mobile-based business-to-business food supply platform, links smallholder farmers in rural Kenya to informal retail vendors in cities. With Twiga’s mobile platform, vendors can order fresh produce from farmers across Kenya at competitive prices. Twiga is driving microfinancing for smallholder farmers in Kenya, by creating credit history through goods transactions powered by Microsoft cloud solution. It currently benefits 8,000 farmers and 15,000 vendors.
Kenyan farmer-led agricultural product distribution company Amiran has also worked with Microsoft to enable the digital transformation of the industry at large. “Working with Microsoft, we have seen a positive impact, particularly with the ChatBot where PowerBI dashboard capabilities have the potential to be instrumental in accelerating the transformation and access to quality services for those who need it most,” says Trevor Sherwin, Head of Business Development, Amiran
“The purpose of todays virtual roundtable was to draw attention to and create awareness around an industry that is vital for the survival of humanity. We hope that by the insights explained and stories shared, that individuals will embrace the impact of digital transformation in the sector. We also look forward to cultivating new partnerships while strengthening current ones as we continue to work towards food security across the continent.” concludes Abdella.
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Check out other stories making the news from the region.
Microsoft UAE is showcasing how it supports sustainable farming with AI and IoT at 40th GITEX Technology Week in Dubai.
Using AI, Edge and IoT, Microsoft’s agricultural solution FarmBeats built on Azure enables data-driven farming to maximize agricultural output.
This data-driven farming entails using data visualizations, analytics and machine learning. The results; it creates automated recommendations on water usage and soil quality. That the company notes help during challenging conditions.
This is part of Microsoft’s AI for good global initiative to support sustainable farming practices and contribute to food security.
Located at H6-D20, Hall 6, a Microsoft Hub has been set up to offer attendees an opportunity to discover and experience Microsoft technology and innovations.
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Sayed Hashish, GM Microsoft UAE showing Microsoft technology innovations at the Microsoft Hub at GITEX Technology Week 2020.
Microsoft notes that governments are now reimagining a more positive world. As such the company is investing alongside them into critical technological infrastructure to solve pressing challenges.
Speaking to the media, Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE notes there will be a need to feed nine to ten billion people by 2050. “This will require a significant increase in food production. However, there is a limited amount of additional arable land, and water levels have also been receding. Cloud technology may prove crucial to address this agricultural challenge,” he continues.
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