In2IT hosts CIO cyber security roundtable, unpacking threats in modern era of digital transformation

Gauteng e-Government MEC Bonginkosi Dlamini. (Image: In2IT Technologies)

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Technology services company In2IT Technologies recently hosted a CIO roundtable discussion in partnership with the Gauteng Department of e-Government and Huawei, which provided a high-level overview of the latest trends, risks and vulnerabilities in cyber security, specifically related to the public sector. Themed “Unpacking Cybersecurity in the New Age of Digital Transformation”, the forum attracted several industry leaders, government representatives and officials from state-owned entities.

These delegates shared various insights into how digital transformation is changing the cyber risk landscape and explored the role of government policies and partnerships in driving sustainability. “Digitisation has become an integral part of everyone's life, and the digital world is ruling every aspect of our lives. In fact, digitisation has transformed how governments interact with citizens, tackle crises and grow the economy,” said In2IT Technologies CEO, Selva Ganesh.

“With widespread digitisation across different parts of the environment, there is a huge data and infrastructure layer. This infrastructure has been profoundly growing, including cloud computing and data centre technologies.” He explained that these infrastructures are complemented by new-age technologies like robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). While these disruptive technologies bring a lot of opportunities, they also come with significant challenges. “The more digital you are, the more vulnerable you are. With these vulnerabilities, we as an ecosystem – both public and private – have to tackle our common enemy, which is cyber threats and cyber crime,” said Ganesh.

Delivering a keynote address, Gauteng e-Government MEC Bonginkosi Dlamini described the event as a powerful platform to share ideas, foster partnerships and explore the future of technology in the province in terms of cyber security. “Cyber security is no longer just a nice-to-have but a critical function for governance, trust and service delivery. Government leaders and stakeholders have a shared responsibility to protect the information and systems essential to the well-being of citizens and the nation's ICT infrastructure,” he said. 

In2IT Technologies CEO, Selva Ganesh. (Image: In2IT Technologies)

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Dlamini noted that according to the World Economic Forum, cyber crime has grown to such an extent that it can now be described as the world's largest state economy, after the US and China. “Cyber crime is projected to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, exceeding the profits of other major global crimes like drug trafficking, counterfeiting and human trafficking,” he added. “As the Department of e-Government, our task of ensuring cyber security is critical. We need to take urgent measures to secure data across the province as we provide data centre services to all departments in the Gauteng province.”

Dlamini stated that it was his department's mission to ensure the safe processing and storage of all applications and data across the province, with the department playing a significant role in protecting the provincial government from cyber threats. “There is hope in collaboration to combat the threat of cyber crime, as no single entity can combat this threat alone. The National Cyber Policy Framework (NCPF) for South Africa indicates that cyber security is a collaborative effort, requiring collaboration between government, the private sector, academia and civil society,” he said. “The department's success lies in strong partnerships between government, the private sector and academia. Collaboration is the key to innovation, and the ideas that emerge from this forum could shape the direction of the department's institutions for years to come.”

The event concluded with panel discussions that delved into topics such as an overview of data privacy regulations and compliance standards, challenges unique to the public sector and best practices for managing cyber security risk in the public sector.