{"id":1103,"date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-17T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-08-15T12:07:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T10:07:18","slug":"prioritising-cyber-security-is-critical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/prioritising-cyber-security-is-critical\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Prioritising Cyber Security is Critical to Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>Cyber Security is non-negotiable! Cyber attacks can affect businesses and individuals in a professional, or personal capacity, with disastrous consequences. While October is <em>National Cyber Security Awareness Month<\/em>, the seriousness of cyber crime should always take precedence; particularly in companies where a \u2018work-from-anywhere\u2019 culture is the order of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h4>TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/h4><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#did-you-know\">Did You Know?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-biggest-threat\">The Biggest Cyber Security Threat<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#domains-co-za-takes-cyber-security-seriously\">Domains.co.za Takes Cyber Security Seriously<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"did-you-know\">Did You Know?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Malware<\/strong> \u2013 It has been estimated, that South African businesses suffer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.co.za\/sa-third-highest-number-of-cybercrime-victims-2020-6\" alt=\"Link to Business Insider - SA Third Highest Number of Cybercrime Victims\" title=\"Business Insider - SA Third Highest Number of Cybercrime Victims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">577 malware attacks<\/a> every hour via online communications. Malware is malicious software such as a virus, worm, spyware, ransomware etc., which are designed to steal information and disrupt or damage a network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phishing &amp; Social Engineering <\/strong>\u2013 A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mimecast.com\/resources\/infographics\/state-of-email-security-2023-global\/\" alt=\"Link to Mimecast.com - State of Email Security 2023\" title=\"Mimecast.com - State of Email Security 2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mimecast report<\/a> found that social engineering tactics through phishing increased by 64% in 2020. Phishing is fraudulent emails aimed at getting the receiver to click on a link or download malware. Social engineering refers to the communication tactics a hacker uses to interact with a cyber victim (via telephone, email or social media) and persuades the person into sharing sensitive information, clicking on a link or downloading a file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ransomware<\/strong> \u2013 The same Mimecast report found that 6 out of every 10 companies experienced a ransomware attack last year. Ransomware is malware that gains access to sensitive information, encrypts it and then sets a ransom amount for the release of said information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>South Africa is a hacker hotspot<\/strong> \u2013 Hackers focus a lot of their attention on South Africa, taking advantage of internet users who have a lack of online security awareness. We experience the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accenture.com\/za-en\/insights\/security\/cyberthreat-south-africa\" alt=\"Link to Accenture.com - Cyber Threat South Africa\" title=\"Accenture.com - Cyber Threat South Africa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">third highest number of attacks<\/a> in the world, losing R2.2-billion every year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) holds you accountable<\/strong> Companies have a responsibility towards their online customers and are required to follow certain protocols to ensure the protection of their personal information. When a company is successfully hacked the business not only suffers financial losses and a tarnished reputation but will also be liable to legal action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-biggest-threat\">The Biggest Cyber Security Threat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Securing a company\u2019s network is only part of the solution. Due to cyber attacks becoming more highly organised and sophisticated, and working-from-home (WFH) on the increase, employees have become a company\u2019s weakest and biggest cyber security risk. According to the 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) <a alt=\"Link to Verizon.con - DBIR Report\" title=\"Verizon.con - DBIR Report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.verizon.com\/business\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">85% of data breaches<\/a> involve a human element such as phishing, stolen credentials or human error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lastpass<\/strong>, an encrypted password manager recently released research done on the password habits of 3750 professionals across seven countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastpass.com\/resources\/reports\/psychology-of-passwords\" alt=\"Link to LastPass.com - Psychology of Passwords 2022\" title=\"LastPass.com - Psychology of Passwords 2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Psychology of Passwords <\/em><\/a>research results found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>65% of respondents use the same or a variation of their password for most accounts;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>only 8% think it\u2019s not a good idea to use a password that\u2019s personal to them; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>20% share pictures of their pets with their names on social media even though they use their pet names as passwords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Even more alarming is that since working remotely, 47% did not change their online security habits whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All it takes is one employee\u2019s bad judgement to bring an entire organisation\u2019s defence to its knees. Employees\u2019 online behaviour is therefore a notable threat to businesses, and ongoing cyber security awareness is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"domains-co-za-takes-cyber-security-seriously\">Domains.co.za Takes Cyber Security Seriously<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is essential to appoint a cyber security officer that will help set-up and drive your company\u2019s cyber security strategy,\u201d says Wayne Diamond, CEO of Domains.co.za.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe believe that the best way to combat this threat is to implement on-going training sessions and using practical, real-world examples. An employee who knows what to look out for will be more prepared when suspicious activity occurs. The best and most sophisticated software and scanners are useless if a company neglects to educate its employees. You are only as strong as your weakest link,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next week we will share practical tips for businesses and employees to better prepare against this growing concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DomainsCoZa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/domainscoza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/9251375\/admin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a> to receive helpful cyber security tips during our 10 Days of Cyber Security Awareness social media campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Domains.co.za is a domain name and website hosting company based in Johannesburg. We offer various value-added solutions to help our customers succeed online. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/ssl\/domain-validated-ssl-certificates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">domain validated<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/ssl\/organization-validated-ssl-certificates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">organisation validated SSL certificates<\/a> can help your business secure its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about our products and services, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cyber Security is non-negotiable! Cyber attacks can affect businesses and individuals in a professional, or personal capacity, with disastrous consequences. While October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the seriousness of cyber crime should always take precedence; particularly in companies where a \u2018work-from-anywhere\u2019 culture is the order of the day. Did You Know?The Biggest Cyber Security ThreatDomains.co.za Takes Cyber Security Seriously Did You Know? Malware \u2013 It has been estimated, that South African businesses suffer 577 malware attacks every hour via online communications. Malware is malicious software such as a virus, worm, spyware, ransomware etc., which are designed to steal information and disrupt <a alt='Why Prioritising Cyber Security is Critical to Your Business' title='Why Prioritising Cyber Security is Critical to Your Business' href='https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/prioritising-cyber-security-is-critical\/' class='moreElipsis'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1262,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1009],"tags":[1439,1437,1438,1445,1441,1443,1442,1444,1440,1436],"class_list":["post-1103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domain-tips","tag-create-a-cyber-security-protocols","tag-employees-are-your-weakest-link","tag-ensure-adequate-cyber-security-training","tag-hacker-hotspot","tag-phishing","tag-ransomware","tag-social-engineering","tag-south-africa","tag-teach-your-staff-about-malware","tag-why-prioritising-cyber-security-is-critical-to-your-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1103"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3428,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1103\/revisions\/3428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}