Page 21 - EngineerIT April May Issue 2026
P. 21
CYBERSECURITY
Q: How does the African threat landscape differ from
other regions? 3 MISTAKES ORGANISATIONS
“It comes down to the pace of growth. Across Africa,
ARE STILL MAKING
digital expansion is happening quickly at both a
consumer and enterprise level. The challenge is that
cybersecurity maturity does not always keep up at 1. Assuming “no alerts” means “no breach” –
the same pace. In more established organisations, Many attacks go undetected for long periods.
capabilities are comparable with global standards. The 2. Treating cybersecurity as a technology problem
gap tends to appear where digitisation is accelerating only – People and processes remain critical points
faster than the rollout of skills and security measures. of failure.
That creates uneven levels of protection, which attackers 3. Underestimating supply chain risk – Trusted
are quick to identify.” relationships are now one of the most common
entry paths.
Q: Are organisations underestimating how targeted
they are?
“Often, yes. Many organisations assume they are secure Q: What types of attacks are increasing most in
because they have not detected a breach. The problem South Africa?
is that attacks can remain hidden for long periods. “There has been a sharp rise in password stealers,
In some cases, breaches have been found to exist in spyware and backdoor attacks. Recent data shows
environments for years without being detected. That lack increases of more than 100% in some categories,
of visibility creates a false sense of security.” including a 116% rise in password stealers and a 170%
increase in spyware. Attacks are also becoming more
Q: What role does human behaviour still play? layered. A single campaign may start with phishing,
“It remains one of the biggest risk factors. Many move into credential theft and then expand through
attacks still begin with social engineering, whether trusted systems or supply chains.”
phishing or more targeted approaches. These
campaigns are designed to create urgency and Q: How are supply chains changing the risk landscape?
pressure, prompting quick decisions without “They are opening new and often overlooked entry points.
verification. Cybercriminals combine technical skill A growing number of attacks now originate through
with a strong understanding of human behaviour. That trusted partners or suppliers rather than direct intrusion.
combination makes these attacks difficult to defend At the same time, many organisations do not prioritise
against with technology alone.” this risk at the level it requires. As systems become more
interconnected, these indirect pathways are becoming
more attractive to attackers.”
5 SIGNS YOUR SYSTEM
MAY ALREADY BE Q: Where does AI fit into this picture?
“AI is accelerating both attack and defence. Attackers are
COMPROMISED using it to improve phishing, automate processes and
support more advanced techniques such as deepfake-
driven social engineering. Defenders are using it for
1. No visible issues – Attacks can remain
detection, behavioural analysis and response. There are
undetected for years without triggering alerts.
also risks linked to how organisations use AI tools. Sharing
2. Strange account behaviour – Unexpected
sensitive information with public models can expose data
logins, password resets or access patterns can
in unintended ways, which makes governance and internal
signal compromise.
controls essential.”
3. Subtle performance changes – Spyware and
backdoors often run quietly but affect system
Q: If a breach is inevitable, what should organisations
behaviour. focus on?
4. Breaches through trusted partners – Suppliers “Continuous improvement. There is no single solution
and connected systems are increasingly used that can prevent every attack. The focus should be on
as entry points. layered security, combining technology, processes and
5. Data exposure outside your control – human awareness. Detection, validation and response
Credentials appearing on the dark web may be are critical. Organisations that can identify and
the first visible indicator. respond quickly are far better positioned than those
relying on prevention alone.”
21 | EngineerIT April/May 2026
