Technology

The Paratus Group has made significant investments in its extensive and diverse fiber network. (Image source: Paratus)

Paratus Group, a pan-African telco, has announced the completion of its East-West Africa fibre route which offers a fast link to anywhere in the world to users from the southern African region

Representing the first coast-to-coast terrestrial route using Paratus built fibre infrastructure, it stretches from Maputo, through Johannesburg, across Botswana and Namibia, and to the West coast at the Cable Landing Station in Swakopmund.

According to Paratus, it offers an alternative terrestrial route and the current demand for this has been expedited by the recent network outages. CEO Schalk Erasmus explained, “This sea-change in imperatives has arisen due to breakages in certain subsea cable systems. Operators need a more reliable route and, with, our new East-West route, by connecting to the Equiano subsea cable, we can assure customers a fast and robust alternative. Our East-West fibre route isn't just a line on a map — it's Africa's digital lifeline.”

Paratus group chief commercial officer, Martin Cox, added, “As a steadfast partner with pan-African expertise, we offer unequalled wholesale capacity solutions for network operators. Because we understand the unique connectivity needs of the various regions, we have tailored our solutions to specific requirements, and we offer carriers and operators not only a diverse East-West route but also onward transmission to Europe.

“Recent undersea cable cuts have shown the importance of robust alternatives and why we've built redundancy into every kilometre, ensuring southern Africa stays connected, no matter what. This isn't just about backup – it's about uninterrupted operations and seamless communications. With Paratus, you're partnering with innovators who are weaving resilience into Africa's digital landscape.”

The system’s flexibility allows for high sublimation rates (>3 kg/m²h) or higher capacity at low vacuum (

GEA, a global leader in food and dairy processing solutions, has launched the RAY Plus series, its next generation batch freeze dryers that aims to provide a more flexible and efficient solution for the food industry

The series offers a cabinet size range of 45m² to 180m², with heating plates in layers of 10, 15, or 20, and condensers on both sides. These cabinets can be combined in groups of up to six, sharing a common control and support system to improve operational efficiency and ensure even load distribution across the production floor.

GEA has also developed a proprietary Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model that precisely calculates the flow dynamics and pressure losses under deep vacuum within the freeze dryer cabinet, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency. This ensures a nearly 50% reduction in pressure drop compared to previous models.

The new series can be integrated with existing RAY freeze dryers and connected to various cooling and heating solutions. Operating at lower temperatures with higher batch loads, the RAY Plus achieves the same daily capacity with reduced energy consumption.

Additional advantages of the series include cabinets designed for efficient washdown; an intuitive user interface making it easy to operate and offering remote access; and the use of trolleys running on GEA’s proven rail system with 80 mm stainless steel pipes.

Sub-Saharan Africa was the least connected region in 2023. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The GSMA, a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem, has released its ‘State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024’ report outlining that 43% of the world population still do not use mobile Internet despite annual increases

According the GSMA, 160mn people started using mobile Internet last year, meaning that 4.6bn people are now using mobile Internet on their own device. This was a similar level to 2022 levels but was a drop from 2015-2021 increases when more than 200mn new users were added per year.

350mn people (4% of the population) live in largely remote areas without mobile Internet on their own device while 3.1bn (39%) live within mobile Internet coverage but do not make use of it. According to the research – that was funded by the UK FCDO and Sida – the biggest challenge remains the usage gap.

Getting these people online would be worth an estimated US$3.5 trillion to the global economy between 2023-2030, and this would largely benefit low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To achieve this, an estimated US$418bn in investment is needed to build the required infrastructure to achieve universal mobile Internet access.

An unconnected Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa was the least connected region in 2023, reported the GSMA. Only 27% of the population are using mobile Internet services, leaving a 13% coverage gap and a 60% usage gap.

For unconnected LMICs, the GSMA reports that device affordability and digital skills and literacy are the main barriers to adoption. In such regions, entry-level internet-enabled devices cost 18% of average monthly income. However, in sub-Saharan Africa this rises to 99% of average monthly income for the region’s poorest 20%.

Another challenge can be found in meaningful connectivity. An average of 43% of mobile Internet users in surveyed countries reportedly wanted to use it more. The most commonly reported barriers included safety and security concerns, affordability and connectivity experience.

In addition, one in five mobile Internet subscribers are still making use of 3G smartphones or a feature phone despite the onset of 4G and 5G. In sub-Saharan Africa, this climbs to almost two-thirds of users, a problem that has a limiting effect on the range and depth of online and digital experience among users.

“Despite continued progress in expanding the reach of network infrastructure and in increasing mobile Internet adoption, significant digital divides remain,” commented John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA. “Collaboration among governments, international organisations and the mobile industry is essential to addressing barriers such as affordability, digital skills, and awareness of the mobile internet and its benefits. This effort must also focus on investing in local digital ecosystems and ensuring robust online safety frameworks.”

While there is clearly much work that needs to be done on the continent, that is not to say there are not significant efforts being made to connect the population, as exemplified by Nokia’s recent initiative to build a 5G mobile core network.

Multiple variants of Grandoreiro are accounting for global banking trojan attacks across the world. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company, has raised the alarm bells around the worrying Grandoreiro banking trojan which has been causing havoc around the world

According to the firm, Grandoreiro has been active since 2016 and has targeted more than 1,700 financial institutions and 276 cryptocurrency wallets across 45 countries this year alone. This accounted for around 5% of banking Trojan attacks this year and the newly-discovered light version variant is also proving cause for concern, having already targeted around 30 banks in Mexico.

Among the countries that have been affected by Grandoreiro is a number from the African continent, including Algeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.

An evolving threat

After assisting an INTERPOL-coordinated action, which has led to Brazilian authorities arresting operators behind a Grandoreiro banking trojan operation, Kaspersky discovered that the group’s codebase has been split into lighter, fragmented versions of the trojan, to continue its attacks. This is what has caused problems for financial institutions in Mexico this year. The creators likely have access to the source code and are launching new campaigns using the simplified legacy malware, Kaspersky has reported.

“All the recent developments underscore the evolving nature of the threat. Fragmented and lighter versions may represent a trend that could extend beyond Mexico and into other regions, including beyond Latin America,” said Fabio Assolini, head of the Latin American Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT). “However, we believe that only some trusted affiliates have access to the malware source code to develop such lighter versions. Grandoreiro operates differently from the traditional ‘Malware-as-a-Service’ model we are accustomed to. You won’t find announcements on underground forums selling the Grandoreiro package; instead, access to it appears to be limited.”

Multiple variants of Grandoreiro, including the new light version and the primary malware, are accounting for global banking trojan attacks across the world, making it one of the most active threats worldwide, according to Kaspersky.

The company also analysed the newer samples of the primary Grandoreiro from 2024, and observed new tactics. It records mouse activity to mimic real user patterns, aiming to evade detection by machine learning-based security systems that analyse behaviour. By replaying natural mouse movements, the malware aims to trick anti-fraud tools into seeing the activity as legitimate.

Grandoreiro has also adopted a cryptographic technique known as Ciphertext Stealing (CTS), which Kaspersky has never seen being used in malware. In this case, its aim is to encrypt the malicious code strings.
To protect from financial malware, Kaspersky security experts recommend key steps organisations can take including to enable a Default Deny policy for critical user profiles; provide cybersecurity awareness training to staff; and use protection solutions for mail servers with anti-phishing capabilities such as Kaspersky Security for Mail Server.

For individuals, Kaspersky recommends vigilance (never open suspicious-looking messages, only install applications from a reliable source, refrain from approving rights or permissions without ensuring they match the applications feature set) and to make sure of a reliable security solution such as Kaspersky Premium.