As Kenya’s digital economy matures, cybercriminals are taking notice and targeting businesses across the country – with significant financial consequences. In April 2024, Equity Bank faced a significant cyber incident that resulted in in Sh179-million ($1.3-million) stolen directly from customer accounts. Kenya’s largest supermarket chain, Naivas, was also previously a victim of a serious ransomware attack that disrupted operations nationwide. These aren’t isolated incidents – they represent a growing pattern of attacks against businesses who are unprepared to meet modern cybersecurity challenges.
“Cybersecurity frameworks offer a blueprint for digital safety and data regulation compliance – but as these develop and proliferate in response to emerging cyber threats, choosing the right one is increasingly difficult. Particularly in high-risk sectors like fintech, retail, and healthcare, understanding specific requirements must be a top priority,” says Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist at global cybersecurity provider ESET.
In 2019, Kenya implemented the Data Protection Act – a legal framework aimed at protecting individuals’ rights to privacy. While these regulations establish what must be protected, cybersecurity frameworks offer the detailed roadmap for how to achieve compliance.
“Organizations that view cybersecurity frameworks as enablers of trust and innovation, not merely regulatory hurdles to overcome, will likely see more success. With strategic implementation, these frameworks provide the foundation for secure, sustainable digital transformation across the continent – provided they are interpreted and implemented in a way that makes sense for each business,” says Anscombe.
These frameworks generally fall into two categories – mandatory compliance frameworks that organizations must follow to comply with laws or industry regulations, and voluntary frameworks designed to improve overall security posture. Many businesses struggle to determine which cybersecurity frameworks best address their specific needs, while satisfying regulatory requirements.
“For regulatory frameworks, there is no decision – they’re a requirement that must be followed, with significant financial penalties for non-compliance. However, businesses still have important choices to make around voluntary frameworks. Business objectives, risk approach, available resources, and vendor support all influence which framework will be most beneficial,” says Anscombe.
The consequences of inadequate security measures extend beyond immediate financial losses, making compliance failure an urgent business concern across all industries; “While Equity Bank was able to apprehend 19 suspects in connection with the incident, customer trust was severely damaged, with many moving to competitors perceived as more secure. For Naivas, who took immediate action to contain the ransomware attack, there were still days of system downtime, lost sales, and months of reputational recovery work,” says Anscombe.
Cybersecurity frameworks are regularly updated to reflect emerging cybersecurity threats, as well as new tactics for safety. However, rigid implementation might impede business operations and can become counterproductive. Businesses must determine their approach to acceptable risk and adapt frameworks appropriate for their scale and capabilities.
“An important factor for small and medium-sized businesses is whether the framework can be realistically adopted. Some provide requirements that are more appropriate for smaller enterprises that may lack the sophisticated resources, but still require robust cybersecurity protection,” says Anscombe. “For elements that are modified or not implemented, there should be documented justification explaining why the adaptation was necessary.”
The goal isn’t perfect compliance with every aspect of a framework – but rather effective protection that enables business growth. “If you take the approach of merely ticking boxes for minimum requirements, you may end up compliant – but not properly protected. If you stick too strictly to all requirements, your team might become overwhelmed. Careful consideration of what is right for your business and industry – supported by an effective cybersecurity provider – is the best way to ensure protection,” says Anscombe.
