How Hackers Are Selling Data Of Over 500 million LinkedIn Users Using Bitcoin

Cybersecurity

Social network giant LinkedIn is the next victim of a major personal data breach, after Facebook. According to information released by Cybernews, more than 500 million LinkedIn users are the latest victims of this massive leak. The data is being sold by hackers for $7,000 worth of bitcoin, says the same source, which updated the report on Friday to clarify it found a new list of databases created by another user on the same hacker forum.

Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity

“The new author claims to be in possession of both the original 500-million database, as well as six additional archives that allegedly include 327 million scraped LinkedIn profiles,” the report noted. 

“If true, this would put the overall number of scraped profiles at 827 million, exceeding LinkedIn’s actual user base of 740+ million by more than 10%. This means that some, if not most, of the new data sold by the threat actor might be either duplicate or outdated,” it added.

Here Is What You Need To Know

  • According to the source, personal information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, job details, full names, gender, account IDs, and connections to users’ other social media sites, was included in the leaked data, in addition to publicly viewable member profiles.
  • LinkedIn, the professional online social network created in 2002 and now owned by tech giant Microsoft, however denied that it was a hack. Instead, the company said the purported hacking activity related to an “aggregation of data from a number of websites and companies”.
  • In fact, according to the social network, it is “profile data made publicly visible which has been extracted”. 

“Data was not therefore stolen from users’ private accounts,” LinkedIn said. “No LinkedIn private member account data was included in what we were able to review.”

Auctioned For Bitcoin

The hackers responsible for this major leak, which represents a blow to the social network, also auctioned the database, starting from $1000 for no less than 500 million profiles. 

Read also:South African Government Encourages Businesses to Market to Africa’s Population

This database, which has been auctioned, may bring in a four-figure amount, depending on the expectations of hackers who want a settlement in bitcoin. The database consists of a cross-referencing of names, email addresses, telephone numbers, professional backgrounds and other information.

Read also: Proposed Internet Security Regulation In Botswana To Shut Down Websites For Non-compliance

What Makes This So Concerning?

With the alleged hacking activity, LinkedIn users are now potentially at risk of targeted phishing attacks, spamming of 500 million emails and phone numbers, and brute-forcing of profile and email passwords. Harassment and the development of false identities using users’ personal details are examples of other events that may follow. 

Professional hackers can also mix the stolen information with other leaks to create a perfect false profile of their targeted victim.

Nevertheless, “the leaked files appear to only contain LinkedIn profile information — we did not find any deeply sensitive data like credit card details or legal documents in the sample posted by the threat actor,” CyberNews said in a statement.

“With that said, even an email address can be enough for a competent cybercriminal to cause real damage,” it added.

What Actionable Steps May Be Taken To Reduce The Chances Of Being A Victim? 

According to Tunisia’s National Computer Security Agency (ANSI) in a publication on its official page in response to the recent Facebook data breach:

“It is important to remember that the leak does not concern passwords or messaging. However, the leaked data can be used for phishing (phishing) or smishing (SMS spamming) attacks without forgetting the fact that this information can be sold and exploited for marketing companies.”

The agency also went ahead to advise on actionable steps to take in case of data breach.

“Today, it is impossible to delete the data that was leaked during this attack, but we can mitigate its impact and take preventive measures to improve the protection of personal data communicated to social networks,” it said.  

Therefore, ANSI recommends:

“Strengthening account security by opting for strong passwords consisting of 8 to 12 characters including numbers, letters and symbols. 

In addition, you should never let a third party or an application create your access settings.

Enable strong or two-factor authentication to deny access to the account even if the access settings have been compromised.

Read also:Egypt’s Paymob Raises $18.5m Series A, Highest Ever For A Fintech Startup

Configure the information communicated to social networks and limit yourself to basic information.

Optimize the protection of mobile devices and computers by installing an antivirus and keeping it up to date.”

Additionally, affected users should:

  • Not click on any links that seem to be dubious.
  • Not respond to suspicious emails or messages
  • Not answer a call from an unknown phone number or return the call.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

how hackers LinkedIn data how hackers LinkedIn data how hackers LinkedIn data

South African Government Encourages Businesses to Market to Africa’s Population

The South African Deputy Trade, Industry and Economic Development Minister Fikile Majola has called on South African businesses not to focus on serving the country’s population of 60 million when there are over 1.2 billion people across the continent of Africa.

Majola was addressing a webinar organised by the ANC’s Progressive Business Forum (PBF) on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Deputy Trade, Industry and Economic Development Minister Fikile Majola
Deputy Trade, Industry and Economic Development Minister Fikile Majola

”Every time we speak to South African businesses, especially emerging businesses, we say to them, when you work on your business strategy you must now remember that you are no longer focusing on a market on 60 million people but rather you are developing a strategy to focus on a market of 1.2 billion people,” he said.

Read also:Nutanix Appoints New Senior Director of Multicloud Business Development

According to Majola, this will require a shift of mindset that whatever South African companies do they will no longer be doing just for South Africa, but for the whole continent. He promised that the government would produce an AfCFTA implementation plan during the current financial year.

”Each master plan will include an AfCFTA chapter, key sectors including auto, steel, poultry, sugar, agro-processing, clothing and manufacturing. Provinces and districts, using our district development model, will be assisted to identify both opportunities for firms in their areas and the local and provincial government contributions to realise their potential,” Majola said.

“We also aim to identify export champions that will support small, medium and micro enterprises and black industrialists to gear up for new markets,” he added.

Read also:How AfCFTA Free Trade Bloc Can be a Game Changer for African People and Business

Majola said the AfCFTA brings the continent a step closer to realising the historical vision of a reintegrated market and creating a basis for increasing inter-African trade. 

He added that during the discussions of the AfCFTA, while Wamkele Mene, the secretary-general of its secretariat, was still the country’s chief negotiator, the biggest issue that worried South Africa was whether the continent did not see benefits in what was being built, if the initiative would not succeed.

”South Africans must appreciate that our growth is going to be with the rest of the continent,” said Majola. Mene said 37 African countries ratified the agreement establishing the AfCFTA, the most recent being the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week.

The AfCFTA is waiting for 19 other countries to ratify and deposit their instruments of ratification.

Read also:Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition Calls for 2021 Applications

“This will be the world’s largest free trade area after the World Trade Organisation,” said Mene.

He said the AfCFTA presents Africa with unique opportunities that in his view it will never have again if the continent does not make use of them as an instrument for integrating the market on the African continent.

”The character of the African economy is not positive, for the last 60 years it has not been positive. We continue to be an exporter of primary commodities, we continue to have national economies that are too small to make a dent in poverty alleviation, market fragmentation across regions, lack of economies of scale,” he said.

Mene added that “more importantly and very worryingly (Africa has) a shallow industrial capacity, a shallow productive and manufacturing capacity”.

According to Mene, the continent has a low percentage of intra-regional trade, which is between 16% and 18%, and the AfCFTA is the last opportunity to boost intra-African trade beyond this, diversify Africa’s economy, and position Africa as a market that can be globally competitive.  

Read also:Jobberman and USAID eTrade Alliance Profiles Behavior Patterns of 25,000 Young Nigerians

”Why should businesses pay attention to this? It is because for the first time we now offer an opportunity to scale, to expand the market and commercial presence beyond the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community into new markets in east, west and north Africa and other regions of the continent,” he said.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Outlook for cryptocurrency this year

By Fred Razak

THE BITCOIN price has surged up to $60 000. And there are a few influencing factors that have contributed to this phenomenal rise in the cryptocurrency’s fortunes. The accumulation of three stimulus packages coming out of the US has had an unintentionally negative effect on the long-term value of the dollar. In fact, ever since the Nixon administration took the dollar off the Gold Standard, the currency has really been floating by its own virtue. As a result, the value of the dollar remains in a cycle of long-term devaluation. The only real value in the dollar is the US’s ability to service its debt.

Fred Razak, chief trading strategist from CMTrading
Fred Razak, chief trading strategist from CMTrading

As a result of the devaluation, institutional financial investors are moving their investments away from the currency.

Up to this point, the US has remained a very wealthy country and has stood by its ability to service its debt. As the dollar devalues, however, the worthiness of the currency does as well. The interesting thing is, in terms of the movement in value from the dollar to alternate currencies like Bitcoin, where the dollar had immense power before and Bitcoin was worth next to nothing, the dollar is now declining and Bitcoin is legitimately becoming one of the most powerful currencies in the world. 

Read also:South Africa Set To Launch New Regulations to Stop Use of Cryptocurrencies To Send Money Overseas

There has been a major shift. And this was brought about by a chain of events. Since its birth in 2009, Bitcoin has gone through several phases. It took some time to be recognised as credible alternate currency. The real turning point was when Bitcoin registered as a currency on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

However, the road towards the completely appreciated value of Bitcoin is still fraught with uncertainties like statements made by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who says Bitcoin will need to be regulated, causing investors sitting on the sidelines to become more hesitant to jump in. Once regulatory standards are imposed on the currency, it becomes less organic in form, and less volatile.

We are in the Wild, Wild West of cryptocurrencies at the moment. Although Bitcoin came about in 2009, this is all just beginning. If one observes how few cryptocurrency transactions are taking place, the upside potential is humongous. In truth, we haven’t seen the real magnitude of cryptocurrencies yet. Consumers have yet to take it on as a currency for daily transactions. But changing mindsets takes time. And we are seeing that major credit card companies, online payment solutions and, notably Tesla are adopting Bitcoin as a recognised payment method.

Read also:WemTech Spring 2021 Program for African Women in Technology and Engineering Calls for Applications

There are going to be a lot of competitors to Bitcoin incoming. The only thing I could really compare it to is the Dot Com bubble and bust of 1999-2000. There were many companies, like AOL (America Online), which was acquired for more than $4 billion at the time, which seemed like a great value, but ended up a bust. That said, soon after, companies like Amazon.com and Google that had much less at the time, are among the biggest companies in the world today.

With so many competitors to Bitcoin emerging, we may well see it drop as alternatives arise. The more companies that recognise cryptocurrencies, the more powerful it will become as a sector. Competition is good, and is the proof that the sector is being accepted. But it is anyone’s guess which specific cryptocurrency might ultimately emerge as the leader.

Does the market truly appreciate what Bitcoin is worth? The exact evaluation is still up in the air. As more major corporations and mainstream influencers start adopting it transactionally, the word on the street is that it may still rise. Right now, as we look at it, the cat is out of the bag. The market is grudgingly accepting it as a form of transactional currency. But there is still a lot to figure out. The question is, what threats could regulatory impositions pose to Bitcoin? And what about upcoming competitors? Could they overtake it?

Read also:Egypt’s Paymob Raises $18.5m Series A, Highest Ever For A Fintech Startup

Down the line, we know that cryptocurrency is the way of the future. But we have no idea how the transactional transformation is going to happen yet. There are still so many questions that we need answers to – like which cryptocurrency will win the race? How will it be regulated? Bitcoin is still very volatile. And volatility tends to make people sell. Ultimately, consumers would rather have a currency that is stable. There is still much trepidation, especially when the value of bitcoin weekly is changing into the $10 000s. But once global consciousness awakens to the value of cryptocurrencies in general, we may see an overnight shift.

The most important thing to remember when you’re trading anything is to make sure that the institution you are trading with is regulated. And with cryptocurrencies especially, do your due diligence. Do the research and make sure that your money is in safe hands. We live in very interesting times and there are many opportunists out there, who are trying to cash in. Watch the markets; understand the trading environment and protect yourself by choosing a regulated broker.

Fred Razak is the chief trading strategist from CMTrading

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

SADC leaders send technical team to Mozambique

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa

The South African Development Community (SADC) leaders have sent a technical team to Mozambique in a bid to fight the insurgency. This follows a SADC Troika meeting in Maputo on Thursday after the events of the past few weeks where a number of people were killed.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa

In a communiqué, regional leaders also called for proportionate action against the attacks in Mozambique. President Cyril Ramaphosa flew into Mozambique to join fellow regional leaders as they planned how they can deal with the violent attacks by insurgents. In the communique issued after the extraordinary SADC Double Troika meeting, the regional leaders spoke out against the attacks and called for action.

This was after the leaders received a report on the security situation in Mozambique.

Read also:Nutanix Appoints New Senior Director of Multicloud Business Development

“Double Troika summit directed an immediate technical deployment to the Republic of Mozambique, and the convening of an extraordinary meeting of the ministerial committee of the organ by 28 April 2021 that will report to the extraordinary organ troika summit on 29 April,” stated the communiqué.

The regional leaders also spoke out against the terrorist attacks in Mozambique.

Read also :Ecobank Appoints Tomisin Fashina as Group Executive, Operations & Technology

“Double troika summit received a report from the organ troika on the security situation in Mozambique and noted with concern the acts of terrorism perpetrated against innocent civilians, women and children in some of the districts of Cabo Delgado province in the Republic of Mozambique; condemned the terrorist attacks in strongest terms; and affirmed that such heinous attacks cannot be allowed to continue without a proportionate regional response,” said the communiqué.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Facebook ad Tools Slammed Over Gender Bias

There are new allegations that Facebook users may not be learning about jobs for which they are qualified because the company’s tools can disproportionately direct ads to a particular gender “beyond what can be legally justified,” university researchers said in a study published on Friday.

Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne
Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne

According to the study, in one of three examples that generated similar results, Facebook targeted an Instacart delivery job ad to a female-heavy audience and a Domino’s Pizza delivery job ad to a male-heavy viewership.

Read also:Facebook To Implement 16% Tax Regime On Businesses In Kenya From April 1, 2021

Instacart has mostly female drivers, and Domino’s mostly men, the study by University of Southern California researchers said.

In contrast, Microsoft Corp’s LinkedIn showed the ads for delivery jobs at Domino’s to about the same porportion of women as it did the Instacart ad.

“Facebook’s ad delivery can result in skew of job ad delivery by gender beyond what can be legally justified by possible differences in qualifications,” the study said. The finding strengthens the argument that Facebook’s algorithms may be in violation of U.S. anti-discrimination laws, it added.

Read also:Sparkle Business Launches Mobile App to Support SMEs in Nigeria

Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne said the company accounts for “many signals to try and serve people ads they will be most interested in, but we understand the concerns raised in the report.”

Amid lawsuits and regulatory probes on discrimination through ad targeting, Facebook has tightened controls to prevent clients from excluding some groups from seeing job, housing and other ads.

But researchers remain concerned about bias in artificial intelligence (AI) software choosing which users see an ad. Facebook and LinkedIn both said they study their AI for what the tech industry calls “fairness.”

LinkedIn engineering vice president Ashvin Kannan said the study’s results “align with our own internal review of our job ads ecosystem.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Nutanix Appoints New Senior Director of Multicloud Business Development

Nutanix has announced the appointment of James Karuttykaran as Senior Director of Multicloud Business Development for EMEA. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing strategic partnerships with leading players in the public cloud. He reports directly to Andy Brewerton, Director of Sales Strategy for EMEA at Nutanix.

James Karuttykaran
James Karuttykaran

In this new position, Karuttykaran is expected to put his expertise in Nutanix technologies to work for the company’s customers’ multicloud deployment needs. His priority will be to strengthen Nutanix’s relationship with Microsoft to facilitate the deployment of European customers’ infrastructure and workloads on Azure.

Read also:How Egypt’s Fintech Raised $18.5m in One Fell Swoop

Karuttykaran joined Nutanix at the creation of the French office in March 2014 as a pre-sales engineer. He quickly rose through the ranks to become Nutanix’s Senior Director Systems Engineering Southern Europe and French-speaking Africa, responsibilities he held prior to this new promotion. Before joining Nutanix, he spent 6 years at VMware where he held various pre-sales, customer and partner positions, followed by 2 years at HDS as a virtualization specialist.

With initial training in electronics and industrial computing at the University of Cergy Pontoise, Karuttykaran continued his training with a work-study program in computer science at the CFA Léonard de Vinci at Veritas Software, a company he later joined in 2003 as a technical support engineer.

Read also:Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition Calls for 2021 Applications

Nutanix has appointed Andrew Gill as Channel Director for Western Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa (WEURSSA). Responsible for leading all channel and OEM activities in WEURSSA, Gill will oversee Nutanix’s go-to-market relationships with resellers, distributors, regional system integrators and technology partners in the region.

Additionally, he will play a key role in driving channel-focused initiatives such as Nutanix Cloud Bundles, a strategic and unified offering to access Nutanix enterprise cloud software and solutions, while providing partners with greater value and autonomy through the sales channel.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Proposed Internet Security Regulation In Botswana To Shut Down Websites For Non-compliance

The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has released draft website application protection guidance for stakeholder feedback, with the alert that non-compliance could result in a website’s removal.

According to BOCRA, the recommendations are in order to assist enterprises in creating a checklist of steps to ensuring their websites are not exploited, and that both software engineers and hosting providers are aware of the risks and potential remedies for vulnerable website applications.

Tshoganetso Kepaletswe, Chief Technology Officer at BOCRA
Tshoganetso Kepaletswe, Chief Technology Officer at BOCRA

The Authority expects developers to use strict password policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), cryptography, and correct key protection and standard algorithms.

Additionally, web application developers must have appropriate log-in and surveillance for unusual activity or security accidents. All permissions are checked, settings are updated, and fixes and enhancements are installed by the musty.

Read also:Congo Blocks Internet Access

The recommendations include ensuring successful app creation, constant patching of found bugs, using up-to-date cryptography, and requiring adequate authentication, according to Tshoganetso Kepaletswe, Chief Technology Officer at BOCRA.

The security standards, according to Kepaletswe, should be applied in the website layout design as well as the finished products of web applications.

The rules, she said, would extend to all companies or registrars hosting.bw domains, as well as registrants who own the websites, until they are authorised. “Any website that does not follow these rules risks being shut down.”

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Botswana regulation internet Botswana regulation internet

Prosus To Sell 2% Of Its Stake In Chinese Giant Tencent For $14.6 Billion

Prosus, the subsidiary of the South African Internet and media giant Naspers, has announced its intention to sell 2% of the shares it holds in Tencent, the Chinese holding company specializing in video games and the Internet.

Prosus

The transaction, which involves 191.8 million shares, will be executed through MIH TC Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of the company listed on the Dutch market.

Read also:Sparkle Business Launches Mobile App to Support SMEs in Nigeria

Prosus will reduce its stake from 30.9% to 28.9%, but will remain the largest shareholder in the group based in Shenzhen, China.

“Prosus intends to use the proceeds of the sale to increase its financial flexibility in order to invest in its growth, as well as for general corporate purposes,” the group said in a note to investors. present in a multitude of companies, particularly in India, Brazil and Russia.

Read also: Rwandan Electric Mobility Startup Ampersand Raises $3.5m

Prosus, beaten in July 2020 by the Norwegian Adevinta who bought the e-Bay classifieds business, could be interested in new opportunities, especially in the e-commerce sector which has been very successful since the advent of covid-19. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange-listed company said it will not make any further sales of Tencent shares for the next three years.

Recall that Naspers’ investment in Tencent in 2001 only cost him about $ 32 million. Tencent recently announced quarterly profit up 175% at the end of December 2020.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Prosus sell Tencent Prosus sell Tencent

5G Rollout in Kenya Escalates as Airtel Upgrades 600 Sites

With the rollout of the 5G technology in Kenya a month ago, major telecoms companies are rushing to upgrade their equipment and sites to meet up with demands. To this end, Airtel Kenya has upgraded over 600 sites in Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi to ensure that they are 5G ready – this comes shortly after rival telco, Safaricom, launched the first 5G commercial services in East Africa.

Prasanta Das Sarma, MD of Airtel Kenya
Prasanta Das Sarma, MD of Airtel Kenya

“These 600 sites are now 5G-ready. We don’t have to make any further modifications to the network. We will just get the spectrum and decide when to switch on,” says Prasanta Das Sarma, MD of Airtel Kenya.

Read also:Egypt’s Paymob Raises $18.5m Series A, Highest Ever For A Fintech Startup

According to Business Daily, the new 5G network will “give consumers Internet speeds of 700 megabits per second, more than three times faster than the current 4G network, allowing operators to offer an alternative service for homes and offices in areas which are not currently covered by its fibre network”.

Sarma also revealed that subscribers can hope to switch to the 5G network within one to two years, around the same time that the telco believes 5G devices will become more affordable.

“The 5G handsets right now are obviously very costly and see few buys. We feel that a reasonable price will start coming in one and a half to two years,” says Sarma. “That is the time we feel we will be able to switch on our 5G network. But if things happen faster, we are ready for it.”

Read also:What could 5G mean for South Africa?

Airtel Kenya began work on its 5G network last year. Since then, the deployment of future-proofed network infrastructure has been expected to cover hundreds of sites and include upgrading existing 2G, 3G and 4G radio access network (RAN) coverage in urban, semi-urban, highways, tourist spots and central business districts in Nairobi and the rest of Kenya.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

How Telematics is Driving eCommerce during COVID-19

By Justin Manson

If ever there was a time for the eCommerce sector to adopt telematics technology, it would be now: COVID-19 has disrupted the retail landscape, with more South Africans now choosing e-commerce as their preferred shopping channel over traditional brick-and-mortar stores. According to a Mastercard study, as much as 68% of South African consumers said they are shopping more online since the onset of the pandemic. 

Justin Manson
Justin Manson

Read also:Sparkle Business Launches Mobile App to Support SMEs in Nigeria

More online shopping means that there are more deliveries to be made, and the logistics industry has had to scale operations to meet the growing demand. The various levels of lockdown, COVID-19 regulations and people working from home have created a greater reliance on home deliveries, with the industry now finding itself at an all-time peak, and with more vehicles on the road than ever before.

Increased demand has created new challenges for courier companies 

Whether it’s an established company with a massive fleet or a startup business with only two vehicles, courier companies now need to manage their deliveries as efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively as possible. That’s because increased demand for eCommerce has created an even greater expectation by customers to consistently receive their items when, how, and where they want – placing pressure on courier companies and drivers to meet this demand. 

At the same time, businesses also need to ensure drivers follow COVID-19 regulations while out on deliveries, especially considering that they’re coming into contact with more customers than ever before. 

Read also:Investors Flock To Nigerian Ecommerce Startup PricePally, Make Six-figure Investment

Unfortunately, adding to this pressure is the increased need for driver and cargo safety. While the immense growth in online shopping has boosted the eCommerce sector, it’s also resulted in more criminals shifting their focus to courier vehicles, targeting goods in transit. There’s been a massive spike in hijackings over the last year, with the current trend involving criminals targeting courier deliveries to steal the cargo instead of the vehicle itself. 

Incidents of armed courier vehicle robberies have been on the rise, with one incident taking place as recently as February this year, where armed robbers fired shots at a courier van delivering cellphones in Pretoria. 

Telematics solutions drive safety and efficiency in the eCommerce sector 

Telematics technology significantly improves operational efficiencies, increases customer satisfaction, and promotes safety for drivers and packages. Comprehensive – but user-friendly – telematics solutions are now an essential business tool for courier companies, equipping fleet managers with the resources to respond effectively to the demand for home delivery and growing customer expectations.

Read also:Mastercard Expands Cashless Payment Functionality for Uber MEA

These solutions enable fleet managers and the end customer to gain visibility of a vehicle’s location in real-time. Fleet managers can also establish the optimal route for drivers, add new jobs to the schedule or implement corrective action to re-route a driver to avoid congestion or accidents. Better driving practices reduce vehicle maintenance requirements, and the system can alert vehicle owners about scheduled services, so that vehicle downtime can be planned around. These both contribute to lower operating costs and maximised profits.  

Using this technology, brands can provide full transparency to customers, who aren’t left wondering when their package will arrive. 

Telematics data can also produce detailed fuel efficiency reports by monitoring drivers’ habits, including idling, revving, speeding, and excessive braking. This data then helps fleet managers identify improvement areas when training drivers to drive more efficiently. 

Easy-to-use Software as a Service (SaaS) telematics technology fits any commercial vehicle for advanced vehicle tracking. That means fleet managers gain total visibility of everything that happens on the road, including vehicle usage. They can also support drivers in the field with the right tools to keep them safe and make their jobs easier. 

Read also:Savings, Wealth Management and Insurance Provides Biggest Opportunities for Fintech in Africa.

The technology can also facilitate contactless deliveries by enabling companies to go paperless and instead use electronic invoicing. That way, drivers can maintain a safe distance when out in the field, and fleet managers can ensure customers receive their cargo on schedule. 

Telematics software can transform the eCommerce supply chain and customer experience, enabling the sector to reassure customers that they’re receiving a reliable, safe, and cost-effective service.

Justin Manson is the Sales Director at Webfleet Solutions 

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry