The South African government has demonstrated a deep understanding of how important the 4IR and a digital economy can be for our country’s development. But security is the foundation and enabler of the 4IR and digital government, and needs to be addressed first.

Critical infrastructure and government departments are under fire worldwide, as cyberattackers target the most crucial systems for the largest payout. Power grids, ports, water and oil pipelines are being attacked, with IBM’s latest Cost of a Data Breach Report1 saying 28% of breaches in critical infrastructure were ransomware or destructive attacks, with average breach costs topping $5.4 million in cases where organisations did not have zero trust strategies.