Pan-African ICT enabler SEACOM has unveiled a cloud-native network solution that reduces IT overhead and complexity while providing improved cloud performance and user experience consolidated in a single platform.
Dubbed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), the new solution shifts application access and security from the network and to the cloud, thereby supporting multi-cloud access for trusted users from any device, location, or network.
SASE converges all security functions found in traditional network architecture and delivers them from a global multi-tenant cloud environment.
This helps organisations to make security and application access available for the user right down to the endpoint – regardless of their location and device – while helping businesses realise their digital transformation journey.
“Today, hybridity defines the workplace experience. With this way of working comes the need for new connections and the means for enterprises to support and, most importantly, secure their employees, infrastructure, and data,” Grant Morgan, Group Managing Director of SEACOM Business said in Nairobi on Friday.
“Solutions such as SASE allow us to consolidate the security tools clients are already using, bringing the multiple applications and mechanisms they use to protect their data and systems together into a single solution.”
SEACOM, which owns and operates the submarine fibre-optic cable connecting communication carriers in South and East Africa, said it will be relaunching its software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution in the region in 2023.
EOH Network Solutions
The relaunch comes soon after the company concluded its acquisition of EOH Network Solutions (EOH-NS), a deal that enables it to expand and continue to offer comprehensive ICT and enterprise connectivity solutions to its customers.
Tejpal Badi, Managing Director of SEACOM East Africa said: “As we head into 2023, we face a great challenge in terms of connectivity but also meeting enterprises’ technical, logistical, and economic requirements.
“We want to ask them: What is on the top of your mind? How can we help you with your digitalisation journey? These are the conversations that will inform our own journey and help spread SEACOM and the vital Internet services it offers across the region”
The new solution comes at a time when Kenyan businesses are increasingly facing threats of cyber attacks emanating from various actors, including terrorist, disgruntled employees, corporate spies and hackers, among others.
DDoS attacks
Kenya is indeed one of Africa’s top targets for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks – a class of cyber-attacks that criminals employ to make an online service or host machine unavailable to it intended users on the Internet.
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In the past three months alone, the country has experienced 30,000 attacks with the financial and insurance, infotech and public sector industries being the top targets of these attacks.
The volume, intensity and frequency of attacks have also increased.
This year, Kenya experienced the highest volume of attacks on the African continent, reaching a record of 600 Gbps.
Attacks in the country on average last between 10 – 60 minutes, which is above the continent and the global average of 5 – 10 minutes.
But due to the impact and implications on businesses DDoS attacks are not commonly spoken about.
SEACOM, however, says its custom-design DDoS solution has been deployed extensively to help businesses in Africa combat these ever-increasing attacks.