What happens when the digital systems we rely on every day stop working? A hospital cannot reach patient records. A municipality cannot deliver essential services. A business cannot process payments. Citizens are locked out of services they depend on. The consequences are felt in people’s lives and livelihoods, and across the economy.
As South Africa’s economy becomes more digital, cybersecurity has become central to its economic resilience, national security and social stability. Once seen as a technical matter for information technology specialists, it now affects every sector of society.
Digital transformation creates opportunities for innovation, investment, better service delivery and inclusive growth. It also creates vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Cyberattacks can disrupt essential services, expose personal information, cause financial losses and threaten businesses’ survival.
The scale of the challenge is significant. In national surveys by the CSIR and the Cybersecurity Hub, conducted at the end of the 2023/2024 financial year, 88% of respondents said they had suffered at least one security breach, and 47% of organisations reported between one and five cybersecurity incidents in the previous year.
Government has therefore made cybersecurity a strategic national priority and continues to strengthen the legislative, institutional and operational frameworks that protect the country’s digital ecosystem.
The Cybercrimes Act, which came into force in 2021, modernised South Africa’s legal response to cybercrime and strengthened the state’s ability to pursue cybercriminals and protect systems and networks. The Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, in force since 2022, recognises the need to protect the infrastructure that society and the economy depend on.
Beyond legislation
Government’s response goes beyond legislation. The National Cybersecurity Hub, housed in the department of communications & digital technologies, serves as South Africa’s national computer security incident response team. It coordinates the response to incidents, shares threat information and raises awareness across sectors.
The State IT Agency strengthens the resilience of government systems through infrastructure maturity assessments and targeted interventions that address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The CSIR, meanwhile, is deploying locally developed technologies, including its Virtual Cybersecurity Operations Centre.
But legislation, technology and institutions are not enough on their own. A secure digital economy also needs a culture of cybersecurity across society.
Businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, must treat cybersecurity as a business continuity and leadership priority. Citizens have a role, too: protecting their personal and banking information, recognising scams and reporting suspicious activity.
Cybersecurity is also an opportunity to build skills. As demand for cybersecurity professionals grows, South Africa can develop expertise in digital forensics, cyber defence, information security and technology research.
Finally, security must be built into new digital systems from the start, not added after they have been compromised. South Africa will face cyberattacks. What matters is whether we can prevent them where possible, respond effectively when they occur and recover quickly when systems are disrupted.
- The author, Nonkqubela Thathakahle Jordan-Dyani, is director-general of the department of communications & digital technologies
