For the first time, Gitex Africa will be held in Marrakech, Morocco from May 31 to June 2, 2023. The event is being organized to take advantage of the largely unexplored African market.

The international technology companies with operations in several African nations have referred to the event as a timely development. It is also expected to welcome 400 businesses from the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Senior Vice President of Sales and Global Channels for Acronis Pasha Airshow talked on the sidelines of Gitex Technology Week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He applauded Gitex for choosing to enter the African market, especially given how much money foreign businesses are pouring into the region.

“We applaud the news that Gitex will finally travel abroad, with Africa serving as its first destination outside the UAE.

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Africa is a crucial market for us as cyber security professionals. Gitex Africa will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to African businesses, particularly SMEs, why they must adopt a comprehensive cyber security approach to safeguard their priceless data from ransomware and other sophisticated threats, they said.

Acronis inaugurated data facilities in Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa, earlier this year. The third one is scheduled to open in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2023. Business cyber dangers are getting worse, according to Pasha, and there is a greater demand for data access, privacy, and compliance.

Gitex Cyber Defense Strategy

The Acronis Cyberthreats Report 2022 revealed that phishing is still the most prevalent attack, with 94 percent of malware being distributed over email, despite the fact that cyber risks in the area are worsening. According to Pasha, use of this tactic is rising. For instance, compared to Q2 of the same year, Acronis prevented 40% more emails containing malware and 23% more emails including phishing.

According to the research, ransomware continues to be one of the largest dangers to both large corporations and small and medium-sized organizations globally. Additionally, businesses in Africa are starting to prioritize it.

High-value targets include the public sector, healthcare, manufacturing, and other crucial institutions. Acronis noted that ransomware is still one of the most lucrative intrusions in its most recent study. Additionally, it predicted that ransomware might cost more than $30 billion in damages by 2023.

Acronis hosted former Argentine international and current Manchester City right-back Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod as part of its partnership with the top English Premier League team. This demonstrates the importance of investing in cyber protection methods by sports clubs in order to identify and handle sophisticated threats, safeguard their data, and maintain competitiveness in their competitions.

Financial phishing, cyberattacks surge In Kenya and Nigeria

About GITEX

The most prestigious expo in the technology industry is called GITEX, which stands for Gulf Information Technology Exhibition. It occurs every year at the Dubai World Trade Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A huge festival of technology, the event brings together professionals and nerds from around the globe to celebrate the newest developments and breakthroughs throughout the exposition. Global industry leaders, innovators, tech enthusiasts, businesspeople, and other target groups are gathered at GITEX to take part in comprehensive knowledge exchange and the exhibition of tech products. As tech enthusiasts from all backgrounds can display their discoveries by putting up booths, the event is unrelated to any particular field.

In 1981, the yearly event was introduced for the first time under the moniker GITE. Although the event was already becoming more common, the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 7 in 2009 further increased attendance. The launch ceremony featured more than 150,019 attendees. Since that time, GITEX has developed into a top-tier technology exhibition that exposes viewers to cutting-edge developments. The event features a variety of must-attend industry-related conversations, debates, demonstrations, and trade of the most recent products.

The annual GITEX GLOBAL or GITEX computer exhibition is hosted at the Dubai World Trade Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event serves as the foundation for the quick technological changes, investments, and initiatives that are reshaping the economies of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.