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Telkom, MTN, EOH have high cyber exposure risk

Paula Gilbert
By Paula Gilbert, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 17 Oct 2017
The Cyber Exposure Index is based on data collected from publicly available sources in the dark web, deep web and data breaches.
The Cyber Exposure Index is based on data collected from publicly available sources in the dark web, deep web and data breaches.

Telkom, MTN and EOH are listed among local companies with the highest cyber exposure risk. This, according to the Kinkayo Cyber Exposure Index for 2017, which found these three groups fall into the top 25% of companies with the most exposure.

The Cyber Exposure Index (CEI) is based on data collected from publicly available sources in the dark Web, deep Web and data breaches.

"From that data, signs of sensitive disclosure, exposed credentials and hacker group activity against a company are identified. Companies are ranked based on the number of findings and the risk that the findings represent," the Singapore-based cyber intelligence company explains.

The CEI looks at the amount of cyber exposure within a group of organisations in a market and looks at three variables relevant to all organisations: disclosure of sensitive information; hacker group targeting towards the organisation; and exposed credentials.

The Index then ranks companies on a scale of 0 to 5 in terms of their exposure over the past 12 months:

- Category 5: ranked in the top 1% of companies with the most exposure.
- Category 4: ranked in the top 25% of companies with the most exposure.
- Category 3: ranked in the 50% of companies with above average exposure.
- Category 2: ranked in the 50% of companies with below average exposure.
- Category 1: ranked in the 25% of companies with the least exposure.
- Category 0: have no visible exposure in the past 12 months.

Models used in the Index were developed by an independent research group, CEI Research, which consists of security researchers and academic professionals from the industry, INSEAD Business School in France, National University of Singapore, University of Stirling in Scotland, and Tampere University of Technology in Finland. Data for the research was provided by Kinkayo.

The company ranking is relative to global scoring that is populated from 11 stock exchanges worldwide and fortune 500 companies. Each company gets an exposure score based on the variables and risks they represent.

Local exposure

The Index ranked 314 South African companies, 13.4% of which fall into category 4, and 28.3% of which fall into category 3. Category 2 was made up of 17.8% of South African companies, and category 1 of 16.6%. No local companies, however, fall into category 5, while 23.9% of local companies had zero exposure and ranked in category 0.

Distribution of Companies in South Africa
Distribution of Companies in South Africa

A number of SA's telecoms and IT companies showed a high level of exposure, with Telkom, MTN and EOH ranking highest in category 4. Vodacom, Huge Group and Blue Label Telecoms all fell into category 3, as did Mix Telematics, Ellies, Cartrack, Mustek, Adapt IT and Naspers.

Telemasters, Datatec and ISA Holdings fell into category 2, while category 1 held Metrofile and PBT Group. However, there was good news for Alviva Holdings, M-Fitec International, Cognition Holdings and Vodacom's BEE scheme, Yeboyethu, which were all ranked as having zero exposure.

When looking at exposure rankings per industry, globally, IT is the third highest exposed industry, making up 11.3% of total exposure, while telecommunication services make up just 2.4% of exposure. In SA, the IT industry makes up just 5.3% of exposure, while telecommunication services make up 2.7% of exposed companies.

Exposure by Industry in South Africa
Exposure by Industry in South Africa

Kinkayo says in today's digitalised world, data is the new currency and driver for all businesses, and a change in the business landscape presents new risks and threats to be remediated.

"The Kinkayo Cyber Exposure Index is the first step in this remediation and mitigation process by identifying existing threats and making them transparent," it says.

The other countries looked at by the index were Finland, France, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. South African companies received an average exposure rating of 1.9. The highest average exposure rating came from Finland at 2.4, and the lowest was Hong Kong at 1.

Average Exposure by Country
Average Exposure by Country

This is the first CEI to be published, and there are plans for follow-up reports to be published twice a year going forward.

SA Telecoms Companies

Ranking number

Company

Industry

Exposure Category

5

TELKOM

Telecommunication Services

4

39

MTN GROUP

Telecommunication Services

4

69

VODACOM GROUP

Telecommunication Services

3

80

HUGE GROUP

Telecommunication Services

3

102

BLUE LABEL TELECOMS

Industrials

3

136

TELEMASTERS HOLDINGS

Telecommunication Services

2

246

YEBOYETHU

Telecommunication Services

0

278

COGNITION HOLDINGS

Telecommunication Services

0

SA IT Companies

Ranking number

Company

Industry

Exposure Category

42

EOH HOLDINGS

Information Technology

4

59

MIX TELEMATICS

Information Technology

3

62

ELLIES HOLDINGS

Information Technology

3

77

CARTRACK HOLDINGS

Information Technology

3

89

MUSTEK LTD

Information Technology

3

100

ADAPT IT HOLDINGS

Information Technology

3

103

NASPERS

Consumer Discretionary

3

162

ISA HOLDINGS

Information Technology

2

184

DATATEC

Information Technology

2

192

METROFILE HOLDINGS

Information Technology

1

201

PBT GROUP

Information Technology

1

282

ALVIVA HOLDINGS

Information Technology

0

287

M-FITEC INTERNATIONAL

Information Technology

0

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