October is Global Cyber Security Awareness month and shockingly South Africa has the third highest number of cyber-attack incidents in the world, at a cost of R2.2 billion a year.

More recently there has been an upward trend in cyber threats and attacks in Africa, with attacks on industrial computers on the rise. Between January 2020 and February 2021, South Africa experienced 230 million cyber attacks and 219 million email threats were detected. The country also experienced the highest targeted ransomware and business email compromise attempts ever. With 95% of the population using mobile phones, mobile banking application fraud has seen a 100% increase and these apps are estimated to suffer 577 malware attacks an hour.

“The COVID-19 pandemic also has accelerated the cybercrime ecosystem bringing an increase in threats. The pandemic created an increase in online education and remote working. Cyber criminals have used the new ‘at home’ working environment as an opportunity to attack potentially weaker networks,” says Diana Becker Founder of MJL Communications.

“Data privacy and cyber security are intricately linked. Businesses are continuously facing cyber threats, digital extortion, business email compromise, ransomware, and botnets. This requires joint efforts between data and cyber security teams to create cyber security and data protection policies.

These figures indicate how essential data security is. It protects digital information from theft, corruption and unwanted access. This includes both the physical security of hardware and software applications. Data security is essential in protecting a company’s information assets against cybercriminals, insider threats and human error.

“According to data studies more than 90% of businesses on the continent do not have the necessary cyber security practices. With the information at hand indicating how vulnerable businesses and home users are, it is easy to see why you would need better cyber security practices, Diana adds.”

“There are several tools and technologies that companies can employ to prevent these incidents from happening. Beginning with training your staff on security protocols and formulating security practices and rules. Implementing firewall security prohibits outside access to data on a private network.”

“Another great way to increase your organisations cyber security is through a virtual private network service. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows for secure communication over the internet. A VPN creates its own network preventing the internet service provider, or intermediate routers to monitor the content.”

“A VPN creates an encrypted secure tunnel between the user and server. Data is divided into packets or small chunks while you use the internet which is shared on multiple networks and routers. VPN software allows for encryption on the user’s device allowing only the intended destination server to decrypt them.”

“It is important to know that not all VPN services are the same. There are several factors you need to consider like data storage and download speeds when deciding, whether it is for a business or personal use. Other than cost and performance data sovereignty is vital and the main condition of a VPN is that the user data should only be decrypted where and when the user stipulates.”

“Considering todays multifaceted cyber environment, a VPN should be a reliable partner, so I advise finding a solution that’s user friendly, offers excellent speeds with privacy and security features tailored for your unique needs. MJL Communications has variety of options for you to choose from, so don’t get caught behind and leave yourself vulnerable to cyber criminals, find out how you can protect you and your business.”