Recap: Africa Cloud & Security Summit 2023

Last week, dx5 (formerly CIO Africa) hosted the Africa Cloud and Security Summit in Nairobi, bringing together around 300 IT and cybersecurity professionals to discuss the latest trends in cloud computing and cybersecurity in Africa. The summit aimed to explore the latest innovations, solutions, and best practices in the field of cloud computing and cybersecurity to help organizations in Africa keep their data and systems safe and secure.

Throughout the summit, a variety of topics were covered, with speakers discussing the most recent developments in the industry. One of the primary topics of discussion was edge computing, which is the practice of processing and analyzing data close to where it is generated, rather than sending it to a central location. By doing this, latency can be reduced, and the performance of cloud-based applications and services can be improved. The speakers talked about the latest developments in edge computing and its potential impact on cloud computing in Africa.

Another topic that received significant attention was smart cloud, which involves the use of intelligent algorithms and machine learning to optimize cloud computing resources and improve the efficiency of cloud-based services. The speakers discussed the benefits of smart cloud and its potential applications in various industries in Africa.

In addition to smart cloud, multi-cloud was another topic that was extensively discussed. Multi-cloud refers to the use of multiple cloud computing services from different providers to meet an organization’s computing needs. The speakers discussed the challenges of managing multi-cloud environments and the best practices for ensuring security and compliance in such environments.

No code-low code in the cloud was also a hot topic at the summit. This refers to the use of visual development tools to create cloud-based applications without the need for extensive coding skills. The speakers discussed the benefits of no code-low code in terms of increasing productivity and accelerating time-to-market for cloud-based applications.

The summit also focused on important topics related to cybersecurity, including Zero Trust and Adaptive Authentication. Zero Trust is an approach to cybersecurity that assumes that no user or device can be trusted and requires all users and devices to be authenticated before being granted access to resources. Adaptive Authentication is a form of authentication that uses machine learning to continuously evaluate the risk associated with a particular access attempt and adjust the authentication requirements accordingly. The speakers discussed the benefits of Zero Trust and Adaptive Authentication in terms of improving cybersecurity in cloud computing environments.

Threat Management and Identity Governance were also key topics of discussion at the summit. Threat Management refers to the process of identifying and mitigating cybersecurity threats in cloud computing environments, while Identity Governance refers to the management of user identities and access rights in cloud computing environments. The speakers discussed the latest developments in Threat Management and Identity Governance and the best practices for ensuring the security and compliance of cloud-based systems.

In addition to these topics, the summit provided a platform for attendees to discuss other relevant issues related to cloud computing and cybersecurity in Africa. The speakers emphasized the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the field to ensure the security and efficiency of cloud-based services in Africa. They also highlighted the need for collaboration between different stakeholders, including government agencies, industry leaders, and academic institutions, to address the challenges facing the industry.

Overall, the Africa Smart Cloud and Security Summit provided an excellent opportunity for IT and cybersecurity professionals to share their knowledge and experience and explore the latest trends and innovations in cloud computing and cybersecurity. Attendees left the summit with a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in Africa.