Information Security for South Africa - ISSA 2012

Information security has evolved and in the last few years there has been renewed interest in the subject worldwide. This is evident from the many standards and certifications now available to guide security strategy. This has led to a more clear career path for security professionals.

The convergence of technologies together with advances in wireless communications, has meant new security challenges for the information security fraternity. As hotspots become more available, and more organisations attempt to rid their offices of "spaghetti" so the protection of data in these environments becomes a more important consideration.

It is this fraternity that organisations, governments and communities in general look to for guidance on best practice in this converging world.

Identity theft and phishing are ongoing concerns. What we are now finding is that security mechanisms have become so good and are generally implemented by companies wanting to adhere to good corporate governance, so attackers are now looking to the weak link in the chain, namely the individual user. It is far easier to attack them than attempt to penetrate sophisticated corporate systems. A spate of spyware is also doing the rounds, with waves of viruses still striking periodically. Software suppliers have started stepping up to protect their users and take some responsibility for security in general and not just for their own products.