The latest auditor-general report (on National Audit Outcomes) cited the lack of adequate IT systems across government as a key obstacle to service delivery.
Failings highlighted include:
* A lack of IT service continuity planning
* Inadequate controls in terms of user-access management
* Insufficient security management systems
* A general lack of IT governance compliance
In short, the auditor-general (AG) found that practically none of South Africa's national government departments and public sector entities has sufficient IT systems in place.
Failure to secure strategic assets
The AG report highlights the fact that “public sector departments and public entities are heavily reliant on IT systems to perform their statutory financial management, reporting and administrative functions”.
The report then further laments the lack of adequate systems to protect vital organisational data*, stating: “Information processed and stored on IT systems is seen as a strategic asset that is vital to the accuracy and reliability of the financial (and performance) information used by management during the planning, monitoring and reporting phases.”
Clearly the loss, destruction and inadequate management of mission-critical data are some of the major obstacles standing in the way of effective service delivery.
* Register here for a free data risk assessment.
Lack of accountability, control
The impact of IT system failure on government's ability to perform and exercise prudent financial management is further highlighted by investigations into alleged irregularities and corruption in the Limpopo Province.
According to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan: “One of the major reasons for the province's R3 billion budget deficit is that its information technology systems are in a mess, with gaping security holes and little controls in place to prevent access to (and tampering with) financial information.”
A fact not unique to the Limpopo Province, it has to be said, with the AGs report finding that information security controls (which aim to stop unauthorised access to networks, information, etc) were inadequate at:
* Eighty-one percent of audited government departments
* Ninety-two percent of audited public entities
Added to that the AG found control weakness at all departments relating to IT service continuity, with deficiencies varying between a failure to back-up user and organisational data and a lack of business continuity, to effective disaster recovery planning.
Control, compliance, continuity
A starting point to quell government's IT woes is the management and control of all mission-critical data located on users' endpoint devices, such as laptops and desktops.
An automated data back-up and recovery solution will aid government departments to:
* Centrally control all aspects of critical user data back-up
* Control access to data through encryption and management reporting
* Offer “version recovery” of data to obtain original copies of files
* Deliver quick and easy data recovery, including e-mail PST files
* Prove business continuity and disaster recovery planning
* Prove adherence to governance, risk and compliance protocols
The deployment of such a solution will have an immediate and favourable impact on rectifying government IT's failings as pointed out by the auditor-general's report.
With service delivery a key measure of government's success, the importance of swift and decisive action cannot be stressed enough.
* Contact Cibecs on 011 791 0073 or e-mail the company on: info@cibecs.com for a free data risk assessment of your current environment. The process takes 20 minutes and is 100% secure.
Share
Cibecs
Cibecs is a locally developed data back-up and recovery solution for user data located on endpoint devices.
Cibecs allows central control over user data, enabling IT to enforce an organisation's data back-up policy. In addition to quick and easy recovery of lost data, Cibecs offers key operational benefits, such as: cost-effective migration of data during Windows OS upgrade or hardware refresh projects, non-intrusive and invisible back-up of user data, and efficient reports to prove compliance with corporate governance requirements, to name but a few.
Cibecs is trusted by hundreds of thousands of business users worldwide; its clients include several leading South African financial institutions as well as public sector and parastatal organisations such as: The National Prosecuting Authority, the IDC, TCTA, the Gauteng Department of Education, SA Weather Services, DLGH-Gauteng, Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport - Mpumalanga, as well as several local municipalities.
Editorial contacts