South African ISP Vox has partnered with cyber security company Sophos to launch a cyber security division, effectively positioning the communications firm as a full-service digital guardian.
In a statement, Vox, a gold Sophos partner, said the division will leverage a full cyber security solution stack (including firewalls, endpoint security, MDR, XDR and phish threat solutions) integrated into its managed security offering.
This portfolio includes the Sophos XGS Series firewall, Sophos Intercept X, Sophos MDR, Sophos XDR and Sophos Phish Threat.
The division will also make available AI-powered defence, including proactive threat hunting, deep learning analysis and automated response capabilities, along with access to the unified Sophos Central dashboard to consolidate all alerts and data across third-party tools with the XDR and MDR offerings.
According to Vox and Sophos, the move is a response to a growing need in the market.
The companies say cyber attacks are more sophisticated and frequent in SA, with the country remaining one of Africa’s most targeted for cyber crime.
According to the BDO Global Risk Landscape Report 2025 and Allianz Risk Barometer, companies have faced an average of 2 114 cyber attacks per company per week in 2025 – a year-on-year increase of 14%.
The Sophos State of Ransomware in South Africa 2025 report put a price tag on the threat – the median ransomware demand rose from R2.8 million in 2024 to R18 million in 2025, while the median payment nearly tripled to R8.3 million.
Audrey Vadival, head of division: security and value-added services at Vox, said: “Sophos has a robust and relevant solution portfolio that ensures we can deliver a synchronised security stack that protects every part of the digital journey from the connection to the user.”
The division comprises a SecOps team, service centre, solutions architects and production team.
In the event of a cyber security incident, the division is the main contact for firewall-related issues. For broader threats, the company works with Sophos’ MDR threat analysts.
Vadival explained that customers can choose how incidents are handled:
- Work together with Vox/Sophos teams to resolve issues.
- Allow the MDR team to fix incidents immediately.
- Be notified and manage the response themselves.
Pieter Nel, sales director SADC at Sophos South Africa, added: “The threat landscape in South Africa continues to intensify, and organisations are looking for a partner that can simplify cyber security while still delivering enterprise-grade protection.”
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