Securing South Africa: Cybersecurity Challenges, Underfunding, and the Path to Robust Cyber Diplomacy

A recent article by Devanny and Buchan highlights the cybersecurity challenges faced by South Africa, emphasizing the country’s vulnerability to ransomware attacks and its current inadequacies in cyber defense. Despite being the most internet-addicted nation globally, South Africa is grappling with the dark underbelly of the internet, particularly in the form of cyber threats.

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks that aim to access, change, or destroy sensitive information, extort money, or interrupt normal business processes. Common categories of cybersecurity, such as network security, application security, information security, operational security, disaster recovery and business continuity, and end-user education.

Cybersecurity Challenges and Underfunding

South Africa, spending an average of 9.5 hours online per day, has become the eighth most targeted country globally for ransomware attacks, according to the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The nation’s cyber strategy is deemed underfunded, with the government lacking a clear stance in cyber governance debates, as outlined by researchers Joe Devanny and Russell Buchan from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. While South Africa introduced the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill in 2015 and established entities such as the military Cyber Command and the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT), the researchers argue that cybersecurity remains a low priority. The under-resourced Cyber Command, in particular, has faced challenges in developing sophisticated cyber capabilities due to deprioritization of defense expenditure.

Geopolitical Ambiguity in Cyber Diplomacy

The study sheds light on South Africa’s ambiguous geopolitical position in international cyber governance debates. Despite its historical commitment to promoting human rights and democracy, critics argue that the country’s foreign policy has lost its principled stance. In cyber governance discussions, South Africa has demonstrated a nuanced approach, aligning with both Western states and Russia. While participating in initiatives like the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and the Budapest Convention, it has also engaged in negotiations for a new cybercrime treaty, reflecting alignment with Russian initiatives. The Devanny and Buchan highlight the need for clarity in South Africa’s stance on regulating cyberspace, especially regarding whether existing international laws are deemed sufficient or if new legal initiatives should be developed.

Recent Cyber Attacks

Devanny and Buchan outline major cyber-attacks in South Africa, including incidents targeting City Power, Life Healthcare Group, Experian, Transnet, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). These attacks have caused disruptions to critical infrastructure, economic harm, and data breaches, underscoring the urgent need for a robust cybersecurity strategy.

Conclusion

Devanny and Buchan conclude by emphasizing that there is still an opportunity to shape South Africa’s cyber diplomacy. They urge the government to prioritize cybersecurity, invest in cyber capabilities, and take a clearer stance in global cyber governance discussions. The article underscores the importance of addressing underfunding issues and adopting stronger leadership in cybersecurity to safeguard the nation’s digital infrastructure and information.