Do you know that an average of N438bn (about $ 1.2 B) per day is lost globally to cyber-crime related costs? Yes, you read that right. To put it in better context, the total health budget for Nigeria in 2019 is N315bn, a whooping N123bn less than what is skimmed off by cyber-criminals in just 24hours!
And, believe it or not, Africa loses a chunk of that sum principally because of a lack of sophisticated technology to combat the scourge as well as banking practices steeped in the Middle Ages.
Fortuitously, an African company is in the business of cutting this heist to the barest minimum, that is, where they cannot prevent it from happening in the first place.
And leading this company, Serensic Africa which has been rated as one of East Africa’s leading indigenous cyber security and software development firms, are husband and wife Benson and Esther Lugoe Mengi
The Power Couple…
The Mengis make an interesting couple, both complementing each other in more ways than one to help put Serensic Africa on a high pedestal with the bouquet of services which they offer across the East African sub-region.
They offer products such as business process management, system integration and SaaS-architecture solutions, Bulk SMS management, custom application development, CMS development and customization services to organizations which desire their specialization.
At the core of their business, Serensic Africa provides comprehensive Information Security services to organizations. They also design and implement information security programs, review and develop information security architectures, security policies, business continuity strategies and disaster recovery plans.
Work Experience…
Even before securing his degree, Benson had worked as Sales Representative for Afrique Pharmaceuticals, Tanzania and then at Carina Ltd Moshi, Tanzania as Project Manager in charge of exploring, planning and heading development teams on new projects for the company.
Esther, on the other hand, worked for the United Nations headquarters in Africa (UNON) and UNDP Somalia before starting her own company.
A convergence of his work experience in sales and marketing with her own qualification as Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Consultant have helped position Serensic Africa as a leading independent company that specializes in Cyber- Security, Software Solutions and General IT consultancy.
So, it stood to reason that when Serensic Africa was founded, roles were perfectly delineated. Benson is Founder/Director of Marketing while Esther assumed the position of Founder/Consultant on Cyber Security and Digital Forensics. And the arrangement has worked seamlessly for the power couple.
Mission and Vision…
Serensic was born out of the vision that confidence in security and privacy does not come from knowing nothing will happen but achieved by knowing all the things that can happen and preparing both proactive and reactive solutions.
Thus the company’s mission, according to their website, is to protect the client’s business by securing critical company and customer’s information while protecting the company’s reputation and enterprise value.
The Serensic Africa Edge…
The company prides itself on providing information security training to corporate clients and individuals but its major strength is derived from its ability to approach each case. The company said on her website:-
“We help you view your IT security from an attacker’s point of view, leveraging real-world techniques to identify exposures and assess their implications on your business. We commit to you as your partner in information security. Your problems are our problems; we are personally engaged with your project from initiation through completion, and dedicate ourselves to your needs when you retain our services on an ongoing basis,”
Recognitions…
They have gained attention from the United Nations and Cisco. Esther Lugoe Mengi was recognised by Forbes and named in the under “30 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs in Africa under the Age of 30”, and the company has high net-worth clients such as IPP Media Group (Tanzania’s largest media house), Coca Cola and Molocaho by Amorette.
Moving forward…
Serensic Africa has branched out beyond Tanzania, with an established office in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the first in its bid to become a pan-African company with the potential to grow a web of services for an increasingly aware continent susceptible to cyber crime.
Education…
Husband and wife both attended the United States International University although at different times. While Benson bagged a BSc in International Business Administration (International Marketing) in 2013, Esther had her first degree in BSc Information Systems and Technology (with concentration in Computer Forensics and Cyber-crime) in 2014.
She went back for her MBA in Information Systems Management in 2015 with four certifications in Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA); Microsoft Applications; ISO/IEC 27001: 2005 Lead Auditor and Certified Ethical Hacker. She was also a member of the school’s taekwondo team.
