printer friendly version

Just for the hack of it

Biodata IT says the local market must become more aware of the need to button up the network hatches.

South Africa is not much different from the international market when it comes to the effects of hacking. Below are a few pointers to consider when deciding how much IT security is enough from Christian Runte, director at Biodata IT South Africa.

1. Local companies are definitely more aware of the need to invest is some form of Internet, network security. Data protection forms a major part of the reasoning behind this.

2. Europe and the US have made substantial investments in security, and more so than in South Africa. As such, South African networking infrastructure – particularly that within the SME segment – is easier for hackers to penetrate.

3. It must be borne in mind that communication in South Africa is far more expensive than overseas. Companies abroad are able to acquire effective communication and related security at a far better rate than their South African counterparts. Local companies, especially mid-range, tend to invest more in the communication side and there is not enough for security. Other socio-economic factors also come into play in the local environment and it all hinges on how much a company decides to invest.

4. Runte believes the strategy is to firstly invest in communication and then in security, but in South Africa, there needs to be a greater spend on security. Most companies – mid range and small enterprise market – believe that a firewall or anti-virus is a comprehensive safeguard. However, the problem is many companies do not have the skills to operate or effectively configure a solution to maximise off the solution.

5. The biggest problem is you do not have to be a hacker to hack. The tools to penetrate a network and manipulate or destroy data are freely available.

Share this article:

Further reading: