Cyber security is essential for digital success and provides the foundation that drives innovation and growth. It allows businesses to maximise their digital value, enabling IT agility and operational efficiency.
Harnessing cyber security allows industries to adopt digital technologies that support the next generation of business models. These include cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies. Enterprises with effective IT security practices are able to speed up the adoption of digital practices – with confidence.
As such, cyber security becomes a key driver of innovation and growth. Enhanced collaboration and employee productivity are supported by security tools, unlocking business value for large corporations. This is why successful enterprises recognise the true value and importance of advanced cyber protection.
African enterprises know the value of cyber security
The telecommunications industry in South Africa has put its focus on protecting the next generation of technologies from criminals. Key players in the industry have joined forces to look at how to address security concerns. With the goal of providing a safer environment and an uninterrupted customer experience, the telecoms industry has shown that a collective response to risk management can lead to significantly improved service delivery that is less affected by cyber crime.
In finance and banking, African industries are placing high value on fraud protection. Fintechs which prioritise cyber security are more resilient in the current global economic climate. Embracing advanced security solutions and third party partnerships allows fintechs to strengthen their security posture.
Protecting valuable digital assets
Digital assets include intellectual property, personally identifiable information, protected health information, financial records and sensitive government data. This type of highly confidential data is often the target for cyber criminals. By leveraging IT security tools and software, enterprises can ensure that they are better protected.
A robust cyber protection programme ensures that your organisation can defend itself against data and security breaches. Sensitive data, in particular, needs a strong-handed and proactive approach to cyber security. This allows businesses to mitigate the negative consequences of data breaches and other security threats.
Digital systems allows enterprises to build a long-lasting legacy
Cyber security has become an enabler for many businesses. Organisations can improve their agility by unlocking the value that cyber security adds. By improving IT security, enterprises build trust and confidence in their brand. Improving the health of the digital ecosystem has a direct correlation to an improved stakeholder experience.
Maintaining customer loyalty is essential, so there’s a strong tie between IT security and consumer trust. Security-conscious enterprises gain the upper hand when it comes to instilling confidence among their customers, building a long-lasting legacy for their business.
Adopting a robust cyber security programme
While each enterprise certainly has its own unique requirements, there are certain features that have emerged as the latest trends in cutting-edge security:
- Enterprises which take a holistic approach to IT security are in the best position to defend themselves. Out-of-the-box cyber protection solutions, such as antivirus programmes or traditional firewalls, may fall short as they do not cover the entire attack surface. Instead, enterprises that implement cyber security standards and/or frameworks are able to better protect valuable digital assets.
- Cyber protection that draws on global threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms have proven to be the most successful solutions. These tools need to constantly cater for new-age threats through intelligent systems that can detect irregularities in network or user behaviour.
- Successful enterprises place importance on awareness training, educating staff about the most common cyber threats. This ensures that cyber security is kept front-of-mind amongst employees.
- The latest technologies in cyber protection involve automation. This allows organisations to set up automated responses and alerts for IT teams, which helps to free up time and enable teams to focus on higher level issues. By taking out the need for manual configuration, automation offers higher levels of security for large scale enterprise networks.
- Enterprises that build cyber protection into their business plan are more likely to be successful compared to those who try to add it on as an afterthought.
Successful organisations place importance on cyber security
Well-established enterprises know the importance of cyber security. Through its strong stance towards IT security, Stanford University offers an example of how maintaining a high standard of cyber security can protect a large network. For a number of years, the institution has religiously updated their systems with the latest software patches. This has prevented countless cyber incidents, including two large scale ransomware campaigns.
At a recent African cyber security event in Johannesburg, industry experts identified the relevant issues related to cyber protection on the African continent. What emerged was the need for an African approach to security – one that focuses on the needs of emerging economies and growing digital citizenship.
Finding the right cyber security solutions for your enterprise
The use of cyber security software has gone a long way to address the shortage in personnel expertise. The IT security skills shortage in Africa can be addressed by implementing the right tools and software, as well as partnering with a credible and experienced cyber security provider that can supplement staff capacity. This also includes up-skilling and training employees to be able to better handle and respond to security issues.
Minimising the risk of human error is a key component of cyber security. Automated software replaces the need for manual intervention, securing an enterprise’s digital ecosystem and making sure that everything is constantly up to date. For more information about our cyber security solutions, please contact us today.
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At 4C Group of Companies, we strive to effect operational changes and cost savings for customers through our iNSight product and associated services. This product’s main function is to re-purpose and deliver business-critical information to a variety of systems and stakeholders.
We specialise in information assurance, business assurance, FinTech solutions and a variety of business systems. For more insights into our products and services, check out our blog page or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
