JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Surveys released on Tuesday showed that South Africa saw an increase in cyberattacks in 2023, with 47 percent of organizations reporting between one and five cybersecurity incidents.
According to the national cybersecurity surveys released by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a South African scientific research and development organization, 88 percent of the companies surveyed said they experienced at least one security breach in 2023, with 90 percent of them being targeted multiple times.
The CSIR noted that more than 1,200 individuals and organizations, including government departments, municipalities, and other public entities, were surveyed. The most common cyber threats are malware and phishing, with organizations reporting a high incidence of these attacks.
"A critical challenge identified was the cybersecurity skills gap, with 63 percent of cybersecurity roles partially or completely unfilled," said the CSIR.
Only 32 percent of the respondents indicated that over half of their employees have received cybersecurity awareness training in the past year, indicating a serious gap in organizations' seriousness in building cybersecurity awareness and culture, it said.
"Cybersecurity is of paramount concern in today's interconnected world. The surveys provided a comprehensive assessment of our cybersecurity posture and highlighted areas where we need to strengthen our defenses," said Jabu Mtsweni, head of the Information and Cybersecurity Center at the CSIR.
Organizations should prioritize the development of a skilled cybersecurity workforce through training and education programs, added the CSIR. ■