Symantec issues South Africa cyber crime warning

South Africa is bracing for a cyber crime onslaught in 2010

The next major global cyber security hub could be South Africa, as the country struggles to cope with the twin effects of rising broadband penetration and the World Cup tournament this summer, warned security giant Symantec.

The firm said that South Africa risks creating a "perfect storm" for cyber criminals because of significant broadband infrastructure upgrades within the country, including links to two new undersea fibre-optic cables.

Improved broadband connectivity is often the key factor leading to increased botnet activity in a region.

Symantec also warned that the World Cup is already generating large amounts of related spam, and other online crime such as government web site defacements.

"Over the years Symantec has seen a surge in malicious activity in countries introducing faster, cheaper and more accessible broadband," said Gordon Love, regional director for Africa at Symantec.

"Our research has also shown that events such as the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Cup trigger online fraud, fake web sites, phishing and spam attacks, and hacking."

Symantec is currently installing additional network sensors in the region in order to monitor threat activity more accurately. The firm is also set to launch a new web site this month dedicated to reporting on threat levels related to the World Cup.