South Africa is experiencing a massive surge in internet crime. A shocking 78% of South African organisations were struck by a ransomware attack last year, up from 51% the previous year., South Africa leads the continent in the number of cybersecurity threats identified with 230-million threat detections in 2022 .
“These gaps are more commonly found in small and medium enterprises. As large businesses invest more in cybersecurity, hackers are increasingly targeting SMBs, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation . By then it might be too late. A cybersecurity breach can lead to loss of business operation, financial losses, and damaged reputations – if the business can recover at all. Says Vieira: “These days, hackers look for an enterprise’s backups first and destroy it before asking for ransom, which often forces the business to pay. Ransomware can completely shut down a business with no protective measures in place.