Online criminals still seem to be winning the war even though South Africa has implemented a number of legislative changes to combat it. Authorities have noted the increase in cyber-attacks on companies and regular citizens, but not much progress seems to have been made in setting up strategies to combat future attacks.
While hackers will never be put out of business, State Security Minister, D. Mahlobo, counselled that SA was indeed on the right track when it comes to designing and effectively implementing defence mechanisms for the country’s cyber security.
For South Africa, it’s exciting times for economic growth through online technological developments. Unfortunately, this also puts many businesses in a position to of having to deal with hacking, breaches and general online fraud.
South Africa’s Cybersecurity Bill was put in place in the hopes of equipping authorities and businesses with the correct tools and strategies to address cybercrime.
What are Hackers After?
A hacker doesn’t directly harm or threaten another person – just their data. These individuals are professionals who know how to identify a vulnerable person or corporation and then find ways of gathering personal information on individuals and the business such as ID numbers, addresses, banking details, credit card details, and so on.
What is South Africa Missing in the War Against Cyber Crime
The process of cybercrime is specialised. One cannot expect the average person on the street to understand the sophisticated methods and techniques that a modern cybercriminal uses.
Not everyone will know or understand DDoS attacks, web scraping and malicious bots, and this is why it is so important to South Africa to have access to trained cybersecurity personnel. This is something that the country lacks and it is this lack of skills that is putting us on the back foot in the war against cybercrime.
Cyber-attacks come in the form of ransomware, accessing networks that are insecure and even tricking people into sharing their personal sensitive information. The attacks range from simple to complex and without trained individuals in the field, they can be quite hard to notice or even detect after the fact.
How Does your Backup Affect Your Cybersecurity?
So, you know that you shouldn’t store too much sensitive information on your computer, laptop or device and you dutifully do your backups to keep your devices clean and clear. Criminals will find no gain in scouring your computers and you are extra careful when sharing information and making payments online. Are you safe? Are you doing your bit to combat cybercrime in South Africa?
Are you doing Enough?
The short answer is no. Simply backing up your data does not mean that you are completely safe. You need to make sure that your data is being encrypted when it is backed up and you should take the time to refresh your passwords regularly.
If you need to make online payments, think about investing in a digital credit card. You can transfer a limited amount of money into this card and use it for your online purchases. If online criminals ever get those details, you will at least have some level of protection and won’t lose everything.
Want to know more about how to do your bit towards the war against cybercrime in SA? Get in touch with us at Soteria Cloud today.