• Chris Norton has been appointed as the new general manager for Kaspersky in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
• He will be tasked with growing Kaspersky’s presence in the region.
• Norton has three decades of experience in the IT sector, working at the likes of Veeam and Hitachi Vantara.

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has announced the appointment of IT veteran Chris Norton as its new general manager for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. With over 30 years of experience in the IT sector, Norton will be tasked with driving Kaspersky’s expansion in the region.

Norton’s CV reads like the programme at a technology trade conference. He has worked for massive firms including Dell Technologies, Veeam Software and before joining Kaspersky, he was general manager of the Africa region at Hitachi Vantara. Norton lists business development as one of his key skills and is a self-described emerging market entry specialist.

Given the task of expanding Kaspersky’s African footprint, Norton looks like the right person for the job.

The cybersecurity firm has had a presence on the continent since 2009. In 2024 it saw sales to consumers climb 36 percent and sales to businesses grew 10 percent. It’s up to Norton to prop that growth up even more.

“I am honoured to take on this role at a time when Africa’s digital landscape is rapidly evolving. My focus will be on empowering our customers and partners through cutting-edge innovation, local collaboration, and education. We are proud to deliver highest-level cybersecurity solutions to all types of customers – from individuals to industrial facilities, that not only protect against today’s cyber threats but also anticipate tomorrow’s challenges. We work with African organisations to embed cybersecurity at the core of their digital transformation so that security is an enabler of innovation rather than an afterthought,” the new GM said of his appointment.”

Embedded

While growth in sales of its solutions is the goal for Kaspersky, the firm has established itself as more than just a foreign entity and has become a key enabler of information security across the African continent.

This includes collaborations with AFRIPOL, giving law enforcement across Africa access to up-to-date data regarding cybercrime in the region. The company also works with the likes of INTERPOL to apprehend cybercriminals operating on the African continent. Intelligence from Kaspersky and other recently led to the arrest of 40 South Africans engaging in phishing attacks.

Norton has signalled that as GM he intends to continue these efforts in line with the company’s wider objectives.

“Kaspersky has very strong global expertise in cybersecurity with its award-winning solutions and threat intelligence services, as well as a forward-looking approach to cybersecurity embedded in our Cyber Immunity concept. Coupled with Chris Norton’s deep knowledge of the regional market and cooperation with local partners, we believe we can deliver these solutions and services to a larger number of customers and make the digital future in Africa safer,” commented Toufic Derbass, managing director for the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META) region at Kaspersky.

Further to this, Kaspersky has committed to transparency on the continent. Last year it launched its first Transparency Centre in Kigali, Rwanda. This centre serves as a way for Kaspersky to engage with shareholders, especially within government, to showcase its source code, software updates and threat detection in a secure environment.

We wish Norton all the best in his new position.