Public sector in the cloud

1 July 2014 Information Security

Andrew Soddy, Mimecast
Andrew Soddy, Mimecast

It is a widely acknowledged truth that the public sector is, at all times, subject to the watchful eyes of the millions that it serves. In an emerging and energetic democracy such as South Africa, media platforms, citizens and investors alike are constantly on the lookout for suggestions of misconduct or transgression on the part of state officials.

As a result many public departments are considered laggards when it comes to technical progression. The task of moving strictly controlled national or provincial entities forward in terms of IT adoption is slow and demanding. It can often appear that the state is simply uninterested in embracing new platforms or technologies – often to the frustration of South Africa’s constituency.

The good news is that we are now witnessing a marked change in government attitudes towards cloud platforms in South Africa – particularly in reference to Software as a Service (SaaS) and managed hosting platforms. State orientated departments are increasingly seeking out new ways to store, manage and access official data, often opting for cloud platforms as the best way to reduce cost and increase efficiency.

In the last year we at Mimecast have documented considerable growth in this environment. Departments at both a national and municipal level are becoming more open to accessing critical daily functions, such as email and file sending, via cloud orientated infrastructures.

This often has more to do with education than necessity. The biggest obstacle to growth in this market is the assurance that state information will not fall into the wrong hands. By observing domestic and international data storage and compliance standards local technology vendors are now finding it easier to attract the interest of government departments.

This attitude also suggests a newfound sense of responsibility towards confidential information at a state level. It is clear, through both the introduction of the Protection of Personal Information Act and an amplified interest in formally vetted cloud storage models, that government is taking its role as a custodian of public data very seriously.

As a result there is significant opportunity for responsible vendors to partner with public entities and parastatals. Those who can provide a reliable service offering will surely benefit.

It is also worth noting that the South African government is actively in search of technical providers that are able to store data locally. Although services such as Microsoft Office 365 have already proven appealing to the state, they must be managed correctly via a locally represented partner.

It is an exciting time for cloud service models within the public sector. While it can be argued that government is less agile than the private sector when it comes to technical adoption, this newfound openness towards innovative ideas is inspiring. Now it is up to us to transfer the necessary knowledge and trust required to partner with these entities. The interest certainly exists. Success will ultimately rely on confidence and trust.

For more information contact Mimecast SA, +27 (0)11 555 5461, www.mimecast.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Deception technology crucial to unmasking data theft
Information Security Risk Management & Resilience
The ‘silent theft’ of data is an increasingly prevalent cyber threat to businesses, driving the ongoing leakage of personal information in the public domain through undetected attacks that cannot even be policed by data privacy legislation.

Read more...
Data security and privacy in global mobility
Risk Management & Resilience Information Security
Data security and privacy in today’s interconnected world is of paramount importance. In the realm of global mobility, where individuals and organisations traverse borders for various reasons, safeguarding sensitive information becomes an even more critical imperative.

Read more...
Sophos celebrates partners and cybersecurity innovation at annual conference
News & Events Information Security
[Sponsored] Sun City hosted Sophos' annual partner event this year, which took place from 12 to 14 March. Sophos’ South African cybersecurity distributors and resellers gathered for an engaging two-day conference.

Read more...
The CIPC hack has potentially serious consequences
Editor's Choice Information Security
A cyber breach at the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has put millions of companies at risk. The organisation holds a vast database of registration details, including sensitive data like ID numbers, addresses, and contact information.

Read more...
Navigating South Africa's cybersecurity regulations
Sophos Information Security Infrastructure
[Sponsored] Data privacy and compliance are not just buzzwords; they are essential components of a robust cybersecurity strategy that cannot be ignored. Understanding and adhering to local data protection laws and regulations becomes paramount.

Read more...
AI augmentation in security software and the resistance to IT
Security Services & Risk Management Information Security
The integration of AI technology into security software has been met with resistance. In this, the first in a series of two articles, Paul Meyer explores the challenges and obstacles that must be overcome to empower AI-enabled, human-centric decision-making.

Read more...
Milestone Systems joins CVE programme
Milestone Systems News & Events Information Security
Milestone Systems has partnered with the Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) Programme as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), to assist the programme to find, describe, and catalogue known cybersecurity issues.

Read more...
Access & identity expectations for 2024
Technews Publishing IDEMIA ZKTeco Gallagher Salto Systems Africa Regal Distributors SA Reditron Editor's Choice Access Control & Identity Management Information Security AI & Data Analytics
What does 2024 have in store for the access and identity industry? SMART Security Solutions asked several industry players for their brief thoughts on what they expect this year.

Read more...
Prepare for cyber-physical attacks
Gallagher Information Security Access Control & Identity Management
As the security landscape continues to evolve, organisations must fortify their security solutions to embrace the changing needs of the security and technology industries. Nowhere is this more present than with regard to cybersecurity.

Read more...
Zero Trust and user fatigue
Access Control & Identity Management Information Security
Paul Meyer, Security Solutions Executive, iOCO OpenText, says implementing Zero Trust and enforcing it can create user fatigue, which only leads to carelessness and a couldn’t care attitude.

Read more...