Kaspersky has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Smart Africa to enhance digital security on the African continent.
According to details of the MOU, the agreement is set to drive collaborative efforts aimed at expanding cybersecurity capabilities throughout Africa and build essential cybersecurity skills via training programs, including those offered by the Kaspersky Academy — an international educational venture established in 2010.
“Our strategic partnership with Smart Africa is designed to help create a more secure cyberspace across the continent and beyond. We see this initiative as a commitment to empowering both individual users and organisations to ensure everyone can navigate the digital world safely and confidently,” said Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky.
Another major focus of the partnership will be addressing gender disparities by supporting initiatives that empower girls and women in cybersecurity, STEM, and ICT. This is a continuation of Kaspersky’s efforts to empower female IT professionals and attract more women to the field.
Also commenting on the MOU, Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, said: “This MoU marks a significant milestone in our quest to secure Africa’s digital future. By joining forces with Kaspersky, we are not only building essential cybersecurity skills and bridging the gender gap but also setting the stage for robust regional cooperation and state-of-the-art cyber infrastructure.”
This partnership reflects Kaspersky’s commitment to a collaborative approach in creating a more safe and secure digital space by building strategic partnerships helping to enhance efforts aimed at boosting the global cyber resilience. It also builds on the momentum of the recently established African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA), a collaborative initiative designed by Smart Africa to bring together cybersecurity authorities from African countries to address the growing challenges posed by cyber threats and crimes.
Together with Smart Africa’s unwavering commitment to building a secure, inclusive, and digitally empowered continent, the joint cooperation is poised to address the evolving challenges of the cyber world and position Africa as a model of digital security innovation.