The Department of State and Security will prioritise the security of the state's information over the next five years.
Minister Siyabonga Cwele says the department will improve the security of state information to help it identify growing threats and improve service delivery.
“The penetration of our ICT systems to perpetrate fraud; the break-ins in a number of strategic state entities; the selected and distorted leakage of state information to destabilise and sow division; all negatively impact on the state's ability to function and deliver much needed services to our people.”
The minister added the department would ensure all sensitive state information is properly managed, controlled and protected from theft, manipulation, cyber-attacks and unauthorised disclosure. He added that more resources will be devoted to secure the integrity of the state's information, its processes, employees and critical infrastructure and combat cyber crime.
“This is particularly necessary given the threats we face today. They originate both in the domestic and foreign arena; they stem from state and non-state actors; and they are interconnected, wide-ranging and know no borders,” he said.
The department would also resubmit the draft Protection of Information Bill to Parliament and within the next years, finalise the National Security Strategy.
The Bill will regulate how information is protected and would serve as an enforcement mechanism. Government departments, which currently rely on standards set out in the Minimum Information Security Standards, would be subject to the Bill once promulgated. The Bill is expected to be effective in 2010, once concerns on the powers given to the minister have been addressed.
Cwele indicated the National Security Strategy will also spell out a management system that will ensure all the capabilities of our government are effectively coordinated to better deal with any threats. He noted that all digital infrastructure, networks and computers would be protected through the strategy.
“Our approach to national security since 1994 has largely been determined by the requirements associated with our democratic transition. However, SA and the world have since changed. We, therefore, need to re-evaluate our strategic interests and what might threaten them. As part of this process, we need to ensure we are better organised and have the requisite capacity to respond with speed and precision to major threats.”
Cwele added the department has also embarked on a project to develop an early warning system to monitor and identify risks in critical national information systems. He says, while much of the focus has been on large-scale state enterprises, the project will eventually be extended to all critical national infrastructure, whether in state or private hands.
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