Article and Images by: Sibongile Dlangalala
Left: The Programme Director for the day, Ms Nonjabulo Zondi giving a rundown of the day’s proceedings as Senior Management Service (SMS) members pay a careful attention. Right: Acting Director, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Ms Ramolla Marillier.
ETHEKWINI: On Friday 13 October 2023, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Directorate hosted a Cybersecurity Awareness training session for all Senior Management Service (SMS) members.
October is the Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM) which is observed annually and forms part of a global initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices.
It serves as a month-long campaign to educate and empower individuals and organizations to protect themselves against cyber threats.
Originally launched in the United States in 2004, Cybersecurity Month has grown into a worldwide effort, involving governments, private sector organizations, and cybersecurity professionals.
The training which was hosted at Archie Gumede Conference Centre in Mayville is an effort by the Department to create awareness and understanding by end users when it comes to cybersecurity practices and other cyber threats that the Department faces every day.
In attendance were SMS members, representatives of the the KZN Treasury and consultants from State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and Sophos.
In her opening and welcome remarks, Chief Financial Officer, Ms Z.D Dlamini encouraged SMS members to come out of this session with a renewed outlook where cybersecurity is concerned.
“As a Department we should strengthen our relationship with our present stakeholders and also make cybersecurity a personal matter and concern in order to ensure that operations of the Department continue at all costs,” said the CFO.
The session continued with presentations from stakeholders outlining the following subjects:
- Cybersecurity Landscape in Government
- Cybersecurity Training
- Business Continuity Management (BCM)
Left: Mr Piet Nel, Regional Head; Sophos. Centre: Mark Goad, SITA Information Systems Security. Ronald Mamdoo, SITA Information Systems Security
In October and beyond, ICT will be providing cybersecurity best practices to Departmental officials. This is done to ensure that the officials can protect both their personal digital data as well as the Department's infrastructure while remaining cyber safe.