Recent cases of IT security breaches in the public sector have put government cybersecurity in the spotlight. Are our municipalities and government departments adopting IT strategies to keep up with cybercrime? In 2020, Interpol reported that South Africa suffered a staggering R2.2 billion in economic losses, because of cyberattacks. Considering the vast amount of sensitive data stored on government networks, it’s clear why they are targeted.
Recent notable incidents include the 22 July attack on Transnet. The cyberattack sparked a week-long systems outage that shut down major ports across the country, leaving container handling operations in chaos. The root of the problem? A vulnerable network which was most likely caused by unmonitored software updates and ignored security protocols.
Fast-forward a few months to early September 2021, and we witness an almost simultaneous cyberattack on both The Department of Justice and the South African National Space Agency (Sansa). After the news broke, Sansa reported that the breach on their IT system involved publicly available information. Whilst on the opposite end, the not so lucky Department of Justice experienced encryption of all its information systems making it unavailable to internal employees and members of the public.
SARS is another example – it’s a particularly rich hunting ground for cyber criminals, where simple email impersonation tactics place its customers at risk. SARS regularly warns taxpayers to be on high alert for fraudulent emails asking them to provide their confidential eFiling details to scammers. Innocent citizens are easy targets of phishing and government bodies are often the channel used by scammers to commit these crimes.
These cyberattack incidents show that the risks extend beyond provincial and municipal government offices, to include suppliers, contractors and the general public. Unfortunately, remote working due to Covid-19 has aggravated the situation. In March of 2020, Kaspersky statistics indicated that South Africa’s network attacks increased from 20 000 to 30 000, in the matter of a week.
Taking into account that all government sectors are legally required to comply with POPIA, network security is a prerequisite to effectively protect client data. By properly managing your municipality’s network with secure protocols you immediately reduce the risks of leaked data, a potential network crash and phishing attacks.
A primary requirement for network security is a powerful firewall to monitor attempts to access your operating system, block unwanted traffic, and prevent malicious software from infecting your computer.
Without a firewall your network is firstly an open invitation to any malicious user. Anyone will be able to connect to your network, and with no way to detect threats, your devices become vulnerable to spam and phishing attacks. By leaving your devices exposed, you secondly compromise sensitive data. Once cybercriminals have access to your network they can delete data, or use it to commit fraud or identity theft. In extreme cases attackers could even shut down your network. This will then require IT specialists to recover stored data, which involves both time and money.
Strict security layers installed on routers and firewalls will block any adult content, phishing or malware attacks. Not only is the system then fully protected from potentially costly security breaches; users will also enjoy a faster network and be able to perform all company requirements without failure.
South Africa has a robust and innovative IT industry and local solutions are readily available. In the private sector, some suppliers are leading the way in tailoring IT security solutions especially designed for public sector clients.
InzaloEMS offers a proudly South African complete firewall application to protect your municipality’s network. Produced locally at a cost-effective price, InzaloGUARD protects your network from phishing attacks, malware, and blocks any form of adult content. It also benefits the productivity of your entire team by increasing the overall performance of your network.
If your municipality is interested in learning more, contact us about our InzaloGUARD product.
Inzalo EMS is a government-centric technologies company based in Centurion, Gauteng. We focus on current leading technologies and public policies to incite technology innovation in the municipal space. Learn more at www.inzaloems.co.za.