• The Gauteng Department of eGovernment says that it will allocate a portion of its R1.7 billion budget towards strengthening the province’s cybersecurity.
• The department says that attacks on state infrastructure are on the increase, with the latest being the crippling ransomware attack on the NHLS.
• It has developed a provincial cybersecurity strategy that has played a “critical role” in safeguarding digital infrastructure in Gauteng.

The Gauteng Department of eGovernment, which oversees the province’s public digital transformation, says that it will allocate a portion of its R1.7 billion budget for 2024/2025 towards “robust cybersecurity initiatives.”

It says the allocation of budget towards these initiatives is part of the mandate of the department, to ensure that the province’s government is well-equipped to withstand cyber-attacks, such as the 2024 NHLS ransomware attack and the 2021 Transnet hack.

Both attacks cost their respective organisations significantly, not only in millions of Rands, but in downtime due to disabled systems too. Both attacks could also have been potentially avoided if the right security measures were in place.

With cyber-attacks only getting more common in South Africa, a robust cybersecurity is a requirement for all state-owned entities that run digital systems, as well as private companies as well.

Gauteng eGovernment says that over the years it has developed the Provincial Cybersecurity strategy and the Gauteng Security Operations Centre.

“These have played a critical role in safeguarding the provincial government against cybercrime,” it says in a statement.

“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,” it adds.

The department recently received a new boss in the guise of Inkatha Freedom Party member Bonginkosi Dhlamini, but the powers of his department were also limited as the portfolio of Gauteng’s wide network of CCTV cameras and surveillance technology was migrated to the office of the Premier, the ANC’s Panyaza Lesufi.

“As a department housing critical state resources, we must remain vigilant. The recent cyberattack on strategic national departments underscores the vulnerability of government institutions. Hence, we must cover all angles to secure our infrastructure” Dhlamini said.

The department is currently putting considerable effort towards the provincial launch of its Gauteng ePanic Button app, which we have covered before and has surprised us with its effectiveness.

[Image – Gauteng eGovernment on X]