Over E1.9m loss in six months due to cybercrime

By Khulile Thwala

As the world and technology evolve, so do the dangers associated with innovations. To highlight the dangers and ensure the public is cognisant of the implications of cybercrime, the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology say close to E2 million has been lost due to this.

Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM), a subsidiary of the ministry, shared that through statistics, in the first half of this year alone, the country suffered a loss of over E1.9 million, further crippling the economy.

Fifty per cent of the cybercrime cases included in the statistics provided by ESCCOM are attributed to ATM fraud, with 15/31 cases from January to June. This month, to strengthen measures against cybercrime nationally, the Ministry of ICT issued the Eswatini National Cybersecurity Strategy for 2022 to 2027. The strategy will be implemented by a yet-to-be-established Eswatini National Cybersecurity Agency.

ESCCOM also embarked on a national cybersecurity awareness campaign with the objectives of shifting the perception of the responsibility of cybersecurity and increasing and reinforcing awareness of cybersecurity, including the rocks and threats affecting organisations and their workforce. Additionally, ESCCOM wants to promote the importance of including cybersecurity as a culture in different industries. Read More