As government seeks to embrace digital transformation as part of a wider strategy for better service delivery, it also has to be cognisant of cybersecurity, as we have seen several costly data breaches and cybersecurity incidents in recent years.
The need to invest in such solutions is one that the Gauteng Department of eGovernment is acutely aware of, this week announcing that it will allocate a portion of its R1.7 billion budget for 2024/2025 towards “robust cybersecurity initiatives”.
“Massive volumes of sensitive data are collected, managed, and stored by the Gauteng Provincial Government. As a result, the stakes in cybersecurity are considerable, from resident records and financial transactions to infrastructure control systems. Therefore, to avoid security breaches with far-reaching effects, eGovernment must prioritize the protection of sensitive data,” the department highlighted in a statement.
How effectively that investment will be put to use remains to be seen, but also featured in this morning’s SPEEDRUN roundup include a Barbie-themed flip phone, Huawei partnering with an SA Olympian, the charges against Telegram’s CEO, and a review of a visual novel Nintendo game.
[Image – Photo by Philipp Katzenberger on Unsplash]
