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Organised cyber crime rises in SA

By Fay Humphries, Events programme director
Johannesburg, 26 Mar 2015
Organised cyber crime is on the rise in SA, says Jason Jordaan, founder and principal forensic scientist at DFIRLABS.
Organised cyber crime is on the rise in SA, says Jason Jordaan, founder and principal forensic scientist at DFIRLABS.

Organised cyber crime is becoming a serious problem in SA, impacting on the local economy against the background of an increase in cyber attacks and security breaches around the world.

"Organised crime, especially organised cyber crime, is a threat not only to South Africa but Africa, and as a developing region, we are a tempting target," says Jason Jordaan, founder and principal forensic scientist at DFIRLABS.

Jordaan will discuss: "Exposing the enemy - organised cyber crime" at ITWeb Security Summit 2015, which will be held at Vodacom World in Midrand from 26 to 28 May. His presentation will address practical steps South African companies can take to mitigate the threat.

"By understanding the nature of the threats we face and how organised crime is operating on the Internet, we can develop strategies within our organisations to hamper their activities. As Sun Tzu stated, it is crucial to know your enemy to achieve victory, and we cannot defend against an adversary that we do not understand," he says.

"South Africa is a leading financial hub in Africa with really good infrastructure, and as such, international organised crime sees us not only as a gateway into Africa, but as a target in our own right."

The South African government is not doing enough to combat the threat posed by cyber criminals, says Jordaan. "The extent of cyber crime requires government to increase resources and to invest in training and technology to combat these crimes. In a country where the majority of our population still lives in poverty and does not even have access to the Internet, contact crimes such as murder, rape, theft and robbery are what affect the majority of our citizens, and this is where government resources are being prioritised."

ITWeb Security Summit 2015

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He advises local companies not to assume the "latest technological or software solution will keep you safe. If you have something of value to an organised crime group, they will invest significant resources to compromise you. Relying on technology and software will give you a false sense of security. You should heavily invest in your human capacity, whether it is in-house, contracted out, or a combination of both."

To access his presentation, along with those from over 30 other subject matter experts at this 10th annual event from ITWeb, click here to find out more and to register.

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