Remote and flexible working policies are increasingly popular, but put companies at huge risk when it comes to cyber security. If starting your own business, these pointers could be useful.



IF YOU’RE A MODERN, PROGRESSIVE COMPANY, IT’S highly likely you’ve got some sort of flexible remote working policy. Unfortunately, with this greater freedom comes greater risk, and remote workers are often the brittle link in a business’s security chain. Employees in general, according to beleaguered IT professionals, are lackadaisical about security software, lackluster about the Wi-Fi they use, and apathetic about their physical security too; writing their passwords on Post It notes and sticking them blatantly on their laptops.



And cyber security is not something to be ignored.



“Cyber-attacks are increasing exponentially,” explains Lukas van der Merwe, a specialist sales executive for security at T-Systems South Africa. Working globally, T-Systems picked up a peak of four million cyber-attacks in 2017. In 2019, this number was a breath-taking 53 million. Every IT security expert interviewed for this article viewed a cyber breach as a matter of when, not if, for most companies.



Remote work is also on the rise. Says Johnny Kromer, a technology executive at Nashua Communications: “We have definitely seen an increase in remote workers, almost all customer solutions today have to be installed with a different percent of mobile access.”



So, how do remote workers open you up to ransomware, phishing, hacking and general cyber security lawlessness?



There are two broad divisions to be made here: digital and physical.



DIGITAL



Remote workers make you vulnerable simply by taking their devices out of the safe online space your IT department has set up in the office, and recklessly using the free Wi-Fi available at most coffee shops. Nothing that’s free is really free, as they say, and the cost of using free Wi-Fi to access your email, client information and more means you open the fence and share your online picnic blanket with a bunch of randoms who might have their eyes on your data. Since public Wi-Fi is unencrypted, it’s easy for hackers to target the individuals using it.



Remote workers are also at a risk of falling for email phishing scams, as generally most of their communication is done via email with their company.



Van der Merwe has helped clients recover from cleverly crafted phishing mails that made it all the way to the CFO for sign-offs on large amounts of money, authentically copying documents and even signatures from the inboxes they had access to. One client lost R1 million ($69,000) to such a scam.



There are some simple things that companies and individuals can do to reduce hacking risks – a) setting up a VPN, or virtual private network, which allows workers to safely access the internet from any Wi-Fi connection; b) Ensuring workers have adequate anti-virus software. This is a bit of a pain point as many remote workers use their own devices and are reluctant to give their companies access to their computers, but this should be a non-negotiable requirement. c) Password documents that list every login are a huge no-no – with most corporates not realizing that these documents are available to anyone on the internet (if saved incorrectly on the Cloud). It is recommended you rather use an online password program that is encrypted; d) 2-factor authentication for logins is one of the easiest ways to secure access, and you can set it for most online programs through their security settings (including social media like Facebook); e) Set up BYOD (bring your own device) policies with strict rules around security measures and the ability to remotely wipe a device, whether a phone or laptop.



PHYSICAL



The other risk is taken far less seriously, with most companies focusing on their digital perimeter rather than any physical one. Some physical risks include:



a) Open laptops when heading to the loo: best practice is to enable auto-locking after a certain period of inactivity; b) Over-the-shoulder hacks: don’t, for example, work on vulnerable files in a public space like the Gautrain (rail service in Johannesburg) where people can peer over your shoulder;



c) Eavesdropping: ever said your ID number or password out loud in a coffee shop? Yeah, don’t do that; d) Unshredded documents: you could have your identity stolen through unshredded documents – this is a real risk; e) Passwords physically written down: the Post It note password on your laptop is a terrible idea.



BEHAVIOR CHANGES



“Train staff, then train them some more! Most companies could do more security training and still be unprepared,” says Jon Tullett, a senior research manager for IT services sub-Saharan Africa, at IDC South Africa. “An employee who sees security as an impediment is on the side of the attacker, since they’re likely to circumvent safeguards in the name of productivity.” Businesses need to make security a priority with clear policies in place, and regular training of staff. Overall, internet security is something companies should take far more seriously. Every expert interviewed was horrified at the belligerent indifference most businesses take to their vulnerabilities, and everyone viewed breaches and security scares as a certainty in the next few years. South Africa has already had its taste of this,



with government departments, newspapers and ISPs (internet service providers) alike all coming under fire in 2019 alone. As Van der Merwe says, “Most people trade off convenience for security.” But be one of those people at your own risk.



<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading">IF THE WORST HAPPENS… BUSINESS (CYBER) INSURANCE</h4>



Vera Nagtegaal, executive head of Hippo.co.za, says that your insurance should look at the following aspects:



REPLACEMENT COST: Insure your tech items for the value of replacement and not necessarily what you paid for it.



WHAT’S INCLUDED IN COVER: Should you insure your laptop, enquire whether there will be cover provided for software as well, as this can be quite costly, and find out what kind of damage is covered.



CLAIMS TURN-AROUND TIME: Some providers can authorize and/or pay out a claim within two to 24 hours, others take a few days and some could take even longer.



REPLACEMENT PROVIDERS: Enquire about the service providers they use to replace your cell phone and research reviews to ensure they are reputable and have good warranties on new devices.



-by Samantha Steele

Afro american young man typing on laptop

REMOTE WORKING: PROGRESS AND PERILS

Banks and investors are reluctant to risk money in untested projects. Start-ups are left penniless and broken across Africa. Nairobi-based entrepreneur Erik Hersman struggled for capital from banks unwilling to take a risk. Crowdfunding was the answer.
“We had to make sure that we made this innovation come alive and crowdfunding made it easier. Although the process of marketing the idea while being funded is hard, it is worth it,” he says.
Through online crowdfunding platforms, people pledge small amounts of money to projects for 90 days, for a reward.
Hersman turned to crowdfunding and met people that gave his new business a lifeline.
“It wasn’t just about raising money for the project but we also wanted to test out if anyone else wanted this product. Sometimes something sounds great in our heads but no one else would be interested,” he says.
Using Kickstarter, one of the many crowdfunding sites in Africa, he raised over $160,000 for BRCK – a device that helps people go online where electricity is scarce. It can hop between Ethernet, Wi-Fi and 3G and 4G.
“We looked at the market and we were asking ourselves, why are we trying to connect to the internet using devices that are made in Europe and the US when we have a different infrastructure in Kenya; so we started designing and developing a new way to connect to the internet.”
BRCK began shipping units in July 2014. Thousands had been sold to 54 countries by February 2015. The company employs 40 people.
Hersman is grateful for crowdfunding and says entrepreneurs should use it.
“It is not currently well used and understood in the continent but I wish more people could make use of it,” he says.
Entrepreneur Patrick Schofield, co-founder of Thundafund, a crowdfunding site based in Cape Town, says many businesses fail in their first year and good ideas rarely see the light of day.
“Crowdfunding is the most powerful mechanism we have in Africa. If you have a really good idea and people like it, they will support it. People can put $100 for a good idea, for example, but they are sceptical to put down $5,000 for something that hasn’t been tested,” says Schofield.
“Through the process of the campaign, we test if the idea is viable and if there is a market for it. The entrepreneurs say how much they need to execute their plan. If the target is not reached, the donated funds are returned to the funders.”
Thundafund claims it has funded 170 projects worth R6,123,843 ($550,000).
“There are a lot of ideas around how you can thank or reward backers. This is a very important part of crowdfunding because it will determine how well your campaign will do. For example, you can offer the product you want funding to create as reward, early access to the product or service for example when looking for funding for an album, you will offer signed CDs, VIP access to shows; you can make your backers part of the project and much more,” says Schofield.
Crowdfunding platforms like Malaik, AngelList, EarlyShares, and Seedrs offer equity.
Malaik spokesperson, Vias Lustig, says equity crowdfunding is great, but has drawbacks if not well managed.
“An early-stage company that has raised financing from a hundred different investors through an equity crowdfunding platform will have more trouble getting follow-on investment from venture capitalists,” says Lustig.
Malaik, based in West Africa, acts as a nominee. All the crowdfunded money is channelled through a special purpose vehicle (company formed for investing in equity) that appears on the entrepreneur’s books as a sole investor.
“Smaller investors that participate in equity-crowdfunding are also less likely to contribute and help the entrepreneurs with their business plan, since they have smaller incentives. Malaik also thought about curbing this when developing its model by adopting a lead investor format, this way the lead investor takes at least 25% of the equity round, thus ensuring the company has a larger, more invested individual that can possibly act as an advisor,” says Lustig.
Lustig claims equity crowdfunding could take advantage of the $140 billion to $160 billion gap in finance for African SMEs, because they enable many investors to commit small amounts of capital that would usually be out of the question.
The founder of London-based The Crowdfunding Centre, Barry James, says crowdfunding has not had a massive impact in Africa because of a lack of awareness.
“The UK lagged far behind the US four or five years ago until we started to tackle this. Even now, only a small percentage of people in either country are getting the help and funding they could from crowdfunding, so it has a long way to go,” he says.
“If you’re writing a book, the best advice is to write about what you know. The same is true with crowdfunding and entrepreneurship. That said, campaigns in the tech category tend to raise the most money, while games and comics have the highest rate of success – around 50 percent.”
In South Africa, Schofield says consumer products, arts and entertainment projects are the most supported.
The future could be brighter for struggling entrepreneurs, if you have a dream that draws a crowd.

If you want to get Ahead Draw A Crowd – But Be Careful

Stellenbosch has become the South African pioneer of a new style of community development; a technological hothouse and African trendsetter with the introduction of free Wi-Fi, and a partnership with one of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs that is set to be rolled out to the rest of the country.
It is hardly surprising then that when 102 South African municipalities were evaluated in 2012, Stellenbosch was the second-best and one of two to achieve an astounding 85 out of 100 in the Municipal Financial Stability Index.
One of Stellenbosch’s pioneer products is the iShack system, an innovative approach developed by postgraduate Stellenbosch University (SU) students. Its purpose is to make simple yet significant improvements to the living conditions of residents of informal settlements.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1652" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MG_3152_0605-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />
It is going to be scaled up with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says Desmond Thompson, senior writer in the department of institutional advancement at Stellenbosch University.
The grant will cover a two-year pilot project in Enkanini, Stellenbosch. The eventual aim is to roll out the system to the rest of the country and beyond.
Between 40 and 100 shacks will be built or retrofitted with a basic solar energy system and insulated with used Tetra Pak containers and cardboard boxes to protect residents from extreme temperatures.
The iShack system is the result of a combined research project by Stellenbosch Universities’ TsamaHub and the Sustainability Institute (SI) at Lynedoch outside Stellenbosch, in collaboration with the Stellenbosch municipality.
The “i” in iShack stands for “improved”, and it entails cost-effective and sustainable modifications to the basic corrugated iron shack commonly found in developing countries around the world.
“The problem with the existing policy of in-situ upgrading is that people wait a long time for the energy and water grids to arrive, and thereafter for housing to be constructed,” says Mark Swilling, coordinator of the sustainable development program at Stellenbosch University’s school of public leadership.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1654" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MG_0006_0562-290x300.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="300" />
“Research shows that this can take eight years. What happens in the meantime? Do shack dwellers just wait, or are there things that can be done immediately? The iShack project is about demonstrating what organized communities can achieve in a short space of time.”
Where possible, shacks are reoriented to face north and will be provided with a roof overhang for maximum heat from the sun in winter and cool shade in summer.
Inside the shack, a clay wall along one of the sides provides thermal mass for passive temperature control.
“These strategies are not alternatives to conventional approaches. All improvements are compatible with the conventional energy and water grids if and when they arrive,” says Swilling.
“Given that all the technologies are mature and proven, the real learning during the pilot phase will be determining what social, institutional and financial arrangements would be required to make the system viable in the long run,” he says.
Pieter Venter, head of Stellenbosch municipality’s financial portfolio, says such is the housing backlog nationally that some residents would have to wait 107 years for a new home.
Therefore ingenious ways of upgrading informal settlements and households, like iShack and the remarkable Langrug-initiative, could become a blueprint for residential development in the whole of South Africa.
In Langrug, an informal settlement of 4,088 residents near Franschhoek, a partnership between the University of Cape Town (UCT), the Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC), Shack Dwellers International (SDI) and the Stellenbosch Municipality is coming to fruition.
“We believe community-centered and driven development—in partnership with local municipalities, other non-governmental organizations and stakeholders—is the best approach to upgrade informal settlements,” says Aditya Kumar, Community Organisation Resource Centre technical coordinator and a Langrug project manager.
CORC piloted its unique approach in Langrug, where strong community leadership has emerged.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1651" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MG_3151_0604-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />
“The Langrug residents have generated their own developmental agenda that has shifted the community mind-set from ‘free state-subsidized housing’ to ‘community-led settlement upgrading’,” says Kumar.
Community members conducted extensive research to determine their main concerns and probe for possible solutions, says community chairperson Trevor Masiy.
“We’ve come up with solutions and now we’re taking them to the [Stellenbosch] municipality,” he says.
Some solutions have already been implemented.
“They have opened access streets, relocated several families that block access to the settlement, built grey water channels, provided play parks for children, painted ablution facilities and set up health forums to assist with HIV/Aids counseling,” Kumar says in commentary published on the skillsportal website.
Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape in South Africa, recently visited Langrug and enthused about the viable partnership between authorities and the community.
“The exciting thing about this project is that we are upgrading shacks where they are instead of moving people out and starting from the beginning,” she says.
Stellenbosch is arguably the first municipality in South Africa and Africa that offered accessible and free wireless connectivity to local residents.
According to the World Bank, a 10% increase in high-speed internet connections results in economic growth of around 1.3%. In other words, networked technology is crucial to a developing economy like South Africa because the statistics predict good economic returns on any investment made in the web.
Stellenbosch municipality partnered with the former chief executive officer of Mxit, Alan Knott-Craig, to initiate the project. Mxit agreed to donate not only their excess bandwidth to the initiative but also infrastructure support and technical know-how.
“Although free wi-fi can never compete in performance with paid-for services, it does provide a magnet for creativity and engineers,” says Knott-Craig.
Venter says they planned to give everybody in the community a cap of 500 megabytes a day. The next phase was to extend the network to the greater Stellenbosch area over six months, and thereafter target Franschhoek and Pniel.
Free connectivity and business partnerships might assist Stellenbosch in becoming Africa’s technology capital, and also enhance its reputation as one of the favorite tourist destinations in the country.
According to Annemarie Ferns, CEO of Stellenbosch 360, the Stellenbosch Tourism and Information Authority (STI), together with key role players, launched a new, holistic destination brand in 2011.
Appropriately named Stellenbosch 360, this ground-breaking initiative created the opportunity for not only tourism but business and other stakeholders to join hands and build a better future together.
The strategic goal for an inclusive tourism plan for Stellenbosch was to enhance and uphold the national and international reputation of Stellenbosch and also to market the town to local and international visitors.
The tourism budget of R1.8 million ($202,000) in Stellenbosch was minute compared to Cape Town with R36 million ($4 million) and Knysna with R4.5 million ($505,000). Without an integrated and strategic plan there could be only limited success.
The new buzz word in Stellenbosch, which has enhanced its economic growth and has contributed to its national standing as one of South Africa’s finest municipalities is “partnerships”.
For example, Ferns says Stellenbosch 360 wants to promote cultural tourism by finding community entrepreneurs that will provide tourists with authentic cultural local experiences.
Stellenbosch endeavors to bring these entrepreneurs into the mainstream of tourism and pair them with established tourism enterprises in and around the Stellenbosch towns.
Venter said Stellenbosch 360 is an excellent example of inclusive cooperation in the Western Cape focusing on growing the economy and creating job opportunities.

What You Can Do With  The Bill Gates Dollar

Even though Copenhagen is a small city, a mere 88 square kilometers in size, being centrally located is important if you’re on a tight schedule. However, if you do need to use public transport, there is free Wi-Fi on subways, trams and buses. The Lakes, a popular jogging ground, are within walking distance from Nørreport, the main train station.
There is no need to worry if you forgot to pack an umbrella—it rains on average 155 days in a year—need a shirt or want to invest in a well-fitting suit. Copenhagen has the world’s longest pedestrian zone of more than a kilometer, which is lined with shops that sell everything from international brands to Scandinavian fashion. Strøget Street, with its exclusive Illum department store, is the most popular shopping street, while Gammel Mønt, Store Regnegade and Pilestræde have a range of stylish, independent shops.
Take a stroll down Bredgade from here, through one of the oldest parts of Copenhagen until you come to Amalienborg, the home of the Danish royal family, and the impressive Marble Church, built in 1740. Not far from there is the Langelinie promenade and pier, home of the Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagen’s icon, that was donated by Carl Jacobsen, a brewer of Denmark’s famous Carlsberg beer.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1554" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/dreamstime_xl_21845961-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />
The city’s hour-long canal boat tours will also take you past the mermaid and offer views of the most important landmarks, including the Royal Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond because of its dark glass façade. The library is not only worth a visit because of its modern architecture. Its coffee shop offers free Wi-Fi and one can look out onto the water through the enormous glass façade.
The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, designed by world-renowned Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, towers over the city center. Its lobby is outfitted with Jacobsen’s original Egg and Swan chairs. To learn more about Jacobsen and his contemporaries, who made Denmark famous for its classic ‘Nordic Cool’ style, visit to the Design Museum and the Danish Design Center. You will get an important insight into the Danes’ mindset: design counts as much as functionality.
The most popular way to get around in Copenhagen is by bicycle. One in three residents use their bike to get to work along the city’s more than 300 kilometers of cycling lanes. Bikes are a great way to explore the city and because Copenhagen is flat, cycling is easy. Arriving at a business meeting on a bike will impress your Danish counterparts. The best part: cycling will cost you nothing, as the municipality provides bicycles free of charge at more than 100 locations throughout the city. They even have a built-in map to show you the way.
If you can’t get yourself to ride a bike, show that you are environmentally conscious by renting an electric car. At $67 a day, it’s cheaper than regular car rentals and parking is free for electric cars throughout the city. It’s all part of Copenhagen’s goal to become the world’s first CO2-neutral capital by 2025.
Surrounded by the North Sea, Denmark is famous for its fish, which makes a seafood restaurant an obvious choice. Fiskebaren, located in the über-trendy meatpacking district Kødbyen, specializes in locally caught fish and shellfish and is as renowned for its minimalist, industrial interior—the aquarium in the center of the space doubles as a fish bar—and its creative dishes. Copenhagen’s restaurants belong to the most expensive in Europe and a 15% service charge is added to the bill.
Noma, voted the world’s top restaurant in 2010 and 2011, is certainly the place to celebrate a business deal. But to get a table at this two Michelin-starred establishment, where Chef René Redzepi only serves produce from Nordic countries, you’ll either have to get very lucky or know far in advance that you will be coming: reservations have to be made as much as a year in advance.
A low-key alternative, ideal for lunch, is Denmark’s national dish, smørrebrød, which are delicious open sandwiches made from dark rye bread and topped with a variety of delicacies, such as Danish meat balls, fried fish, eggs, herring, roast pork or shrimps. Restaurant Schønnemann has been making smørrebrød since 1877; while Ida Davidsen—(with a restaurant of the same name) who is known as the ‘queen of smørrebrød’—has delivered her sandwiches all the way to Hollywood.
The capital’s new culinary hot spot, Torvehallerne, an upscale covered market with more than 80 stalls, gives a good overview of Danish delicacies such as local cheeses, organic sausages, artisanal honey, breads, olive oils, seasonal fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, wines and specialties from small Danish islands. Copenhageners are the biggest consumers of organic produce in the world. Anything fitting the buzzwords: green, sustainable, ethical and social, will sell here.
The city’s best cocktail bar, Ruby Bar, is a great place to relax. Invite your business partners to enjoy a Champagne Figure, a cocktail made from homemade fig puree, bitter chocolate, absinthe and champagne. Another good place to network is the Nørrebro Bryghus, one of Copenhagen’s famous micro-breweries. This beer bar belongs to former Carlsberg master brewer Anders Kissmeyer, who invents a new beer at least once a month. There are dozens of different beers to choose from and most are limited editions.
To show your business partners true commitment to Scandinavia, take them for a drink at the Icebar, Copenhagen’s coolest bar… literally. All its interiors—from the walls to the bar counter, furniture and cocktail glasses—are made from natural snow and ice harvested far above the Arctic Circle. Needless to say, the bar has to be kept at sub-zero temperatures to keep it from melting. But don’t worry, you’ll be given a cozy outfit that will keep you warm.

Tag: Wi-Fi

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

REMOTE WORKING: PROGRESS AND PERILS

If you want to get Ahead Draw A Crowd – But Be Careful

What You Can Do With The Bill Gates Dollar

Glide Through Copenhagen For Free