IT security breaches are a given and are not shameful
From Apple and Yahoo to the US government itself, no organisation is too big to avoid having been compromised at some point, writes Matthew Gardiner
One of the first steps to addressing a public health crisis is taking the shame out of it. This, for example, was something that had to be learnt during the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the US. Science cannot operate and hard problems cannot be solved without data and open discussions regarding the specific problem. In many countries it appears that a similar stigma still exists in the area of IT security breaches; and the related lack of disclosure contributes directly to a lack of understanding and action by businesses and the government. And despite the fact that cybercrime is on the rise in SA, with R2.2bn in losses a year according to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric), those most affected by cybercrime are still reluctant to step forward. The Gemalto Breach Level Index showed that just five data breaches were registered in SA in 2015. For businesses, this instinctual drive to keep quiet about a breach is compounded by the weight of expectation; ...
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