12 September 2023

Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO, ESET South Africa

We live in a world surrounded by smart devices – from our pockets to our driveways and living rooms. These advancements offer convenience, and in many cases, extra security. But when gadgets are fitted with computing power and internet connectivity, they also become a target for remote hackers.

Smart cars meet smart hackers

Earlier this year, a TikTok trend helped thieves hack certain models of Kia, Hyundai cars. According to Bloomberg, videos about the so-called Kia Challenge showed mostly teenagers giving instructions on how to unlock certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars. By inserting a USB cable into a broken steering column, TikTok videos show, thieves can hotwire an engine – much like the way that screwdrivers typically come in handy for the same reason. While in the past, obscure skills and knowledge were needed to break into and start a car, today, thieves and anyone else can easily find all that info online and sometimes even on social media.

11 September 2023

Despite slowing global population growth in the coming decades, all regions are expected to urbanise further, as more and more of us settle in cities. Current estimates by the United Nations Economic and Social Council say that by the end of the decade, over 60% of the global population will be concentrated in cities, dramatically challenging the delivery of connectivity and public services.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa; by 2050, Africa will be home to 25% of the global population, increasingly concentrated in its cities. In fact, Africa is now the fastest urbanising region in the world; by the end of the decade, there will be 17 African cities with over five million residents, and five of them – Cairo, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos, and Luanda – will form megacities of ten million or more. This rapid urban growth has led to the rise of informal settlements with high mobile internet penetration but low access to fixed-line infrastructure.