Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Beyond instinct: how AI is reshaping retail store layouts in South Africa

      15 May 2025

      Company behind South African-built geyser claims up to 84% energy savings

      15 May 2025

      PIC appoints new CEO

      15 May 2025

      Huge crypto exchange hit by cyberattack

      15 May 2025

      Trump tells Tim Cook: stop building iPhone plants in India

      15 May 2025
    • World

      Microsoft to lay off 3% of workforce in organisation-wide cuts

      14 May 2025

      AI-voiced audiobooks are coming to Audible

      13 May 2025

      Apple turns to AI to tackle iPhone battery woes

      13 May 2025

      Vodafone CFO to step down

      7 May 2025

      Lights, camera, tariffs: Trump declares war on foreign flicks

      5 May 2025
    • In-depth

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025

      Social media’s Big Tobacco moment is coming

      13 April 2025

      This is Europe’s shot to emerge from Silicon Valley’s shadow

      10 April 2025

      Microsoft turns 50

      4 April 2025
    • TCS

      Meet the CIO | Schalk Visser on Cell C’s big tech pivot

      13 May 2025

      TCS | Kiaan Pillay on fintech start-up Stitch and its R1-billion funding round

      7 May 2025

      TCS+ | Switchcom and Huawei eKit: networking made easy for SMEs

      6 May 2025

      TCS | How Covid sparked a corporate tug-of-war over Adapt IT

      30 April 2025

      TCS+ | Inside MTN’s big brand overhaul

      11 April 2025
    • Opinion

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025

      ICT distributors must embrace innovation or risk irrelevance

      9 April 2025

      South Africa unprepared for deepfake chaos

      3 April 2025

      Google: South African media plan threatens investment

      3 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Company News » A roundtable review of data protection trends in Africa

    A roundtable review of data protection trends in Africa

    By Anne Simpson25 August 2021
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    South Africa crossed the threshold of compliance on 1 July 2021 with the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) coming into full effect. Prior to this date, Ava Security played host to a roundtable discussion focused on data protection trends and concerns faced by top security executives throughout Africa. This roundtable, with top chief information security officers, brought to light growing concerns shared between the executives of the risk posed by company insiders.

    As a global pandemic spread around the world, organisations were made to rethink how their employees would continue working. Prior to this event, most organisations had a central office location in which their employees would come together to perform the function for which they were hired. As this was not a viable option, remote working was quickly adopted by companies worldwide.

    However, no longer within the safety of the company firewalls, employees connected to whichever network was convenient, yet still had access to company information. This left remote workers in jeopardy of exposing sensitive information externally. The risk of an employee intentionally or unintentionally releasing sensitive data increased incrementally over the past year. However, with the passing of Popia, the trouble companies potentially face has increased exponentially.

    At the roundtable, 60% of IT executives in attendance said they felt insiders posed the biggest security threat to their organisations

    At the roundtable, 60% of IT executives in attendance said they felt insiders posed the biggest security threat to their organisations.

    Nick Maxwell, GM for UK, Middle East & Africa and Australia & New Zealand at Ava Security, said: “Organisations have seen an uptick in insider risks in the past year — whether it be due to disgruntled employees people being made redundant, people moving on from their jobs, or people becoming a little bit more desperate.”

    Insecure networks

    This sentiment was echoed in the responses from participants who felt insiders and the threat they posed remained a challenge even after working under these conditions for some time. Remote employees are still needing to use insecure networks and devices to connect to their company infrastructure.

    The solution to this problem is not black and white. However, 80% of CISO roundtable attendees agreed that awareness training was effective at helping to create better cyber hygiene. A workforce with strong cyber hygiene creates a better defence against outside attacks, keeping data where it belongs while helping organisations comply with Popia regulations.

    User awareness training can be the most helpful when it is consistent. However, according to Maxwell, “there needs to be a fine balance between creating the right employee experience and still ensuring that data is secure from wherever they are connecting”.

    User activity monitoring is recommended to shed light on how data is moving around and being used within an organisation. This visibility for security teams helps to mitigate the risk of data being leaked, yet also helps if a leak occurs — giving quick insight into incidents.

    Organisations can take a proactive stance against external security threats by creating a strong internal defence of company insiders. According to Maxwell, it’s important for companies to remember “that your training is not just a tick-box exercise, but that you are actually changing behaviours in your business to ensure that people fully understand the impact of their actions when you give them access to data within your environment”.

    Under Popia, a small action can have larger repercussions, including fines, the loss of company reputation and even jail sentences. This roundtable illuminated the top threats these security executives are facing from within their own organisations and gave insight into how they are addressing these issues to be continuously compliant with data protection laws.

    About Ava Security
    Ava Security is a global technology company with offices in the UK, Norway and the US. We exist because we believe that we can create a better, smarter way to deliver security. We help organisations see, understand and act on their surroundings to protect their people, businesses and reputations in real time. For more, visit www.avasecurity.com.

    • This piece was written by Anne Simpson, marketing manager at Ava Security
    • This promoted content was paid for by the party concerned


    Anne Simpson Ava Ava Security Popia
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleTakealot CEO criticises Post Office sub-1kg delivery power grab
    Next Article AI is not a panacea but is key to augmenting conversational communications

    Related Posts

    Regulatory compliance in South Africa: the role of Popia and PAM

    19 March 2025

    Truecaller may face Popia probe by Information Regulator

    27 November 2024

    Arctic Wolf | 8 steps to achieving cybersecurity compliance in South Africa

    19 March 2024
    Company News

    Retailers: take back control of your tech stack with self-enablement

    15 May 2025

    Sigfox South Africa unveils next-gen asset intelligence for smarter logistics

    15 May 2025

    How microgrids deliver and optimise every kilowatt in CPG environments

    15 May 2025
    Opinion

    Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

    14 April 2025

    Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

    9 April 2025

    ICT distributors must embrace innovation or risk irrelevance

    9 April 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.