Cybersecurity Compliance in South Africa – Source:davinciforensics.co.za

A Continued Cycle

South Africa has had a slow approach to compliance with the government regulations and laws set in place. This problem has been exposed at every turn as South Africa has continued to show its vulnerabilities, and cyber criminals see them and abuse them. The institution of much of the newer legislation has given a signal that South Africa is taking cybersecurity more seriously, but compliance has been a hit or miss game.

As more companies become educated on the laws and regulations regarding cybersecurity, they are adding additional staff and hiring cybersecurity specialists to assist in combatting threat actors in the cyber world. New software has been developed to automate some of the previous methods of analysis and to institute fast action responses.

The levels of change being made to address cybersecurity regulation compliance encompasses a variety of areas. Taking additional steps assists in protecting proprietary data, instills a sense of trust with clients and demonstrates a willingness to invest to ensure that laws are obeyed. POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as well as the Cybercrimes Act were put in place to ensure that businesses adhered to the legal requirements to protect data so that they avoid legal actions which could include fines. The framework for these legislations give companies the ability to assess, identify, and mitigate the risks associated with cybersecurity attacks. These actions can reduce vulnerability from threat actors.

The consequences of a cyber breach for a company can include damage to reputation, financial loss, and the loss of trust from their customers. Taking actions to comply with regulations helps to protect their data from unauthorised access and demonstrates a willingness to responsible commitment.

As a major player in the global financial landscape, South African companies that comply with regulations assists businesses in meeting and achieving the international requirements and frameworks such as ISO 27001. These actions allow an enhancement as a global market competitor. Additionally, compliance with cybersecurity legislation protects the economy and national interests of South Africa from cyber hackers. The NCPF (National Cybersecurity Policy Framework) was designed to add to the security of cyberspace in South Africa and protect the infrastructure which is critical against cyberattacks.

As the net continues to be a main method of communication around the world we can expecct that threat actors will also continue to design new and sophisticated methods to attempt to steal and threaten corporations and organisations. Working with law enforcement in South Africa has also been a slow process as their members have not been trained to deal with cyber threats. Various cyber professionals and specialist are working with law enforcement to assist in creating departments designed to address these issues. We are beginning to see some fruit from these actions but it’s been a slow process. Incident responses from Response Teams have increased, but not fast enough. Cyber security specialists encourage companies to focus on basics that they can control such as multifactor authentication, risk analysis and patch management.

“Companies in South Africa have been recognising their vulnerability to cyberattacks and have been stepping up to the plate to protect their proprietary data. DaVinci Cybersecurity works closely with our clients to educate and assist in their continued efforts.”

– Sharon Knowles, CEO DaVinci Cybersecurity

Source:

itweb.co.za/article/sas-sluggish-approach-to-cyber-security-regulation-laid-bare/O2rQGqAEBKBqd1ea