SSA hard at work to combat cyber threats

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the State Security Agency is sharpening measures against cyber security threats in the country. The Minister was tabling the Budget Vote of the agency in Parliament on Monday. She explained that the nature of threats was evolving with criminals using 'sophisticated technologies and strategies that require agility and proactive response'. 'This requires specialised skills and coordination with various parties in and out of government. Honourable members are surely aware and concerned about the exponential increase on attacks to organs of state ICT infrastructure, which pose a threat not only to the individual targets but the economic value chain in the services these entities provide. 'In our efforts to strengthen cyber security, we are hard at work building and strengthening our capabilities and capacity to proactively combat emerging cyber threats and potential cyber attacks on our communications environment. 'In this regard, we will be accelerating t he implementation of the National Cyber Security Framework which incorporates the development of the cyber security legislative framework and the establishment of an integrated cyber capability and capacity,' she said. The Minister said with the passing of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill and the necessary organisational reconfiguration, 'we will also undertake work to recalibrate and capacitate the National Communications Centre to be more responsive to cyber security threats'. 'Before the end of this financial year, we will commence with the legislative process to take the Cyber Security Bill for consideration by Parliament,' she said. Ntshavheni said government is embarking on partnerships - both internationally and domestically - to sharpen the skills within the intelligence environment. 'The Intelligence Academy is already working on revising its curricula to focus on more relevant skills of the present day intelligence environment. Some of this will be achieved through partnerships with reputable academic institutions as we work to ensure that the intelligence academy is SAQA accredited to ensure the portability of skills. 'In addition, the Intelligence Academy is exploring possibilities of establishing itself as a data institute that will not only serve the intelligence world, but broader society as data is not only the new gold, but an essential part of driving development and decision making. 'In this regard, investments in collaborations for technology and data sharing with both global and local institutions transcends a strategic imperative. It is a transformative opportunity which can empower the organisation to leverage global expertise, harness the power of technology and data to address local challenges,' she said. Source: South African Government News Agency