With cybercrime increasing exponentially with every passing year, experts are predicting that it will soon replace many traditional forms of financial crimes, and it might seem as if no business can ever be safe from the threat. However, protecting your business from financial loss, disruption to operations and damage to your reputation, is achievable with up to date, modern cyber security plans and policies.
The newly created Protection of Personal Information Act, helps organizations to better protect any personal information that they handle, and with POPI Act compliance, you can help improve your cybersecurity strategies, make yourself less of a target for cyber criminals and give the public far greater trust in you.
How Is Popi Act Compliance Linked To Cybersecurity?
Referring to measures an organization takes to protect a computer or system from being unlawfully accessed by a hacker, cybersecurity is essential for the survival for any modern business, as is data privacy. Centered around a consumers’ understanding of their rights as to how their personal information is collected, used, stored and shared, data privacy is enhanced with the implementation of POPI, and POPI Act compliance serves to give organizations more robust cybersecurity policies and measures, in general.
If you need help achieving POPI Act compliance or with enhancing your existing cybersecurity strategies, reach out to a professional IT company who can help ensure that not only is your business protected from cybercrime, but that your customers and associates are protected, too.
What Forms Can Cyber-Attacks Take?
While preventable with enhanced cybersecurity, cyber-attacks can take multiple forms:
- Online or phone scams
- Fake payment requests or invoices
- Computer, device or network hacks in which data is stolen
- Stopping business systems with the distribution of malicious software and viruses
Would Your Business Survive A Cyberattack?
The unfortunate reality is that more than half of small businesses in South Africa don’t have enough cybersecurity systems in place to survive cybercrime, and this is usually due to the financial losses, customer turnover and reputational damage they face as a result of the attack.
Often going out of business within six months of an attack, their problems are only compounded by the fact that data breaches can take many weeks and months to even identify.
On the basis of this, if cybersecurity and POPI Act compliance aren’t your businesses priority, they really should be.
How To Keep Your Business Safe With Enhanced Cybersecurity Measures:
With the high probability that a data breach can occur at any time, businesses should be focusing their efforts on establishing a solid cybersecurity strategy, and taking steps to ensure POPI Act compliance is achieved as soon as possible. Sadly, statistics show that as little as 35% of businesses in South Africa have an adequate cybersecurity plan in place, and this should always involve more than mere antivirus programs and internet firewalls. Enhanced cybersecurity measures and POPI Act compliance are best achieved with help from the professionals; those who are qualified to give you up to date, nonbiased advice and guidance as to how you can make your business safer and protect it from the threat of a cyberattack.
Investing in the services of an IT professional who specializes in cybersecurity can only ever benefit your business, even if you hold the mistaken belief that a cyberattack will never happen to you; is not having adequate cybersecurity a risk you can afford to take?