Data protection amid the growing cyber skills shortage

Issue 5 2023 Information Security

Cybersecurity complexities continue evolving, and organisations require expert skills and robust cybersecurity solutions to safeguard their sensitive data and systems.

Yet it is reported that 40% of South African companies struggle to find and keep cybersecurity talent, and 64% agree that a shortage of cybersecurity capabilities heightens organisational cyber risks.

As the skills pool in South Africa grows smaller, and the demand increases, organisations will have to outsource several cybersecurity functions. Outsourcing, however, brings its own set of challenges as organisations have to monitor and manage the value derived from several service providers.

“Fortunately, with solutions like Pretect, business decision makers can change the way they choose to do cybersecurity,” says Kevin Wotshela, Managing Director of Magix.

Already trusted by over 40 companies, this web-based app and team of cyber experts have effectively prevented and detected cyber threats, ranging from common phishing attacks to unknown insider threats.

The cybersecurity menu

The Magix cyber security professionals who developed Pretect understand that the high cost of building and maintaining a skilled internal cybersecurity team can be a significant burden for businesses, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

“After working with multiple companies and gaining insights, it became evident that each company’s requirements and internal skills sets were unique, and that you could not ‘shoehorn’ the same package, software, or product into all of them,” says Wotshela.

“By integrating our offerings and presenting them as a ‘buffet menu’, at a fraction of the cost, companies – big and small – can now select the services that are most pertinent to their business needs,” he adds.

Designed to address the ever changing digital threat landscape, Pretect offers a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that encompasses multiple cybersecurity best practices.

Clients gain access to tier one products, and experienced best-in-class cybersecurity engineers, for an affordable monthly cost on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Once deployed, this 24/7 solution:

• Offers continuous vulnerability management to identify and remediate risk proactively.

• Conducts regular penetration testing to simulate real world attacks and identify vulnerabilities that may not be discovered through automated scans alone.

• Includes firewall assessments to ensure that firewalls are configured correctly and provide optimal protection against potential threats.

• Runs simulated phishing campaigns to assess an organisation’s susceptibility to such attacks, which remains one of the most common vectors of cyberattacks.

• Offers security awareness training to educate employees about the risks associated with phishing attempts, equipping them with the knowledge to identify and respond appropriately to potential threats

• Provides comprehensive web application scanning to identify potential weaknesses in public-facing systems.

Furthermore, platform users can easily and effectively assess, monitor, and enhance their security posture by utilising a single interface with a homogeneous dashboard and benefit from the secure central storage of all their cybersecurity reports.

To maximise the value of Pretect, companies also benefit from monthly feedback sessions with experienced cybersecurity professionals. These sessions provide an opportunity to discuss assessment results, address concerns, and receive expert advice on strengthening security practices.

“It was important to make the most out of our cybersecurity spend. Compared to creating an internal cyber team, the decision to partner with Pretect as our all-in-one cyber solution shaved 35% off our projected cybersecurity costs. More importantly, it gave us peace of mind that we have continuous visibility of our security posture and access to a team of specialists,” says Craig Hills from WhoYou.

Etienne Schmidt, Head of Information Security at Nutun, says, “The guidance and insights provided by the Pretect cyber experts have empowered our team to make informed decisions, and it has continuously improved our company’s security posture.”

The good news about outsourcing cybersecurity services is that with the right cybersecurity partner, you can bridge the cyber skills shortage gap, save money, reduce risks, and increase productivity while getting peace of mind that your company’s data and systems are secure.

For more information, go to www.magix.co.za or www.pretect24x7.com




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Compressing cyberattack timelines and targeting ungoverned AI identities
Information Security News & Events
Sophos AI Security 2026 report finds attackers are moving beyond experimentation and operationalising AI for attacks using identity as the primary initial access vector, rather than inventing new attack types.

Read more...
Zero-touch automation certificate life cycle management loop
Products & Solutions Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
ManageEngine completes the certificate life cycle management loop with CA-agnostic, zero-touch automation. New post-deployment automation in Key Manager Plus removes the last manual step in certificate renewal as lifespans gradually shrink to 47 days

Read more...
Sophos launches AI-native cybersecurity defence system
News & Events Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
Built for a threat landscape reshaped by AI, Sophos Fusion unites security operations, endpoint, network security, identity, email, and cloud into one defence system that prevents, detects, investigates, and responds at AI speed.

Read more...
Ungoverned AI agents and deepfakes pose critical threats
Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
Global study reveals 64% of South African organisations already deploy autonomous AI agents with little to no governance, while 63% of employees admit they are unlikely to be able to spot attacks such as deepfakes

Read more...
How ‘TikTok Brain’ is breaking legacy security training
Training & Education Information Security
Between doomscrolling, rapid-fire Slack notifications, and algorithmic video feeds, the average employee is trapped in an aggressive, highly engineered dopamine loop that automatically shuts down in traditional training situations.

Read more...
Quantum is coming
Infrastructure Information Security
The global cybersecurity landscape is approaching a turning point as quantum computing accelerates faster than most organisations realise; the shift is not a distant, theoretical concern, but a present-day business risk that demands immediate action.

Read more...
Outpacing cyberthreats in the age of AI
SMART Security Solutions Technews Publishing News & Events Information Security
SMARTpod talks to Fred Streefland, Global Field CISO for EMEA at Check Point Software Technologies, about framing modern cyber defence around adaptability, rapid decision-making, and the OODA loop adapted for cybersecurity.

Read more...
Prompt injection is the new phishing
Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
AI security is heading in an uncomfortable direction following Microsoft’s research showing how prompt injection can be chained to remote code execution vulnerabilities in AI agent frameworks, including work involving Semantic Kernel

Read more...
Cybersecurity needs actual intelligence before artificial intelligence
Information Security AI & Data Analytics
Cybersecurity depends on interpretation. A tool can tell you that something unusual has happened, but people need to determine whether it is a genuine risk, the business impact, and how to respond without causing unnecessary disruption.

Read more...
Duxbury Cybersecurity sharpens reseller offering
Duxbury Networking Information Security News & Events
Duxbury Networking has strengthened its Duxbury Cybersecurity business unit by adding WatchGuard and Cynet, giving South African resellers broader, more integrated coverage for the security risks customers are now asking them to address.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.