Understanding The Human Factor In Building Security Resilience

By Gert Janzen, product manager at SEACOM

South Africas corporate and public sectors are under immense pressure to uphold the security practices and values that go together with digital transformation. As industries evolve, so too does the nature of the threats they face. Cyberattacks are predicted to cost South Africa around R2,2billion in 2024 and a recent survey of IT and cybersecurity decision-makers found that 50 of local organisations have experienced up to four attacks over the past year.

Given this prevalence, its imperative that enterprises make security a defining characteristic of their IT operations as well as their workplace culture. Eliminating vulnerabilities throughout the organisation starts by equipping people with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves thus establishing a benchmark for themselves as well as their greater industries.

Understanding the human factor

The simple truth is that, when it comes to the threats or incidents that businesses may typically face, human error will likely be the cause. Research has shown that human error can be a contributing factor in as much as 95 of all security incidents and, according to the Proofpoint 2024 Voice of the CISO report, almost three quarters 74 of surveyed CISOs identify it as the most significant vulnerability.