PROJECT: THE GROWING CYBER THREAT IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Isabel Spies
- Sep 4
- 5 min read
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Recent reports highlight a worrying surge in cybercrime, with South African businesses facing an
average of 2,113 cyberattacks every week.
Read the following news article: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/607150-south-african-businesses-hit-by-2113-cyber-attacks-a-week.html
This places South Africa among the world’s most targeted countries,
largely owing to its growing digital economy, widespread use of mobile banking, and often weak cybersecurity defences.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly vulnerable, as they frequently lack the resources of larger corporations to defend against sophisticated threats.
As the digital landscape expands, both businesses and individuals must recognise the most common forms of attack,
learn how to spot them and adopt effective security practices.
FIVE MOST COMMON CYBER ATTACKS IN OUR COUNTRY:
1. PHISHING (INCLUDING SMISHING, VISHING, SPEAR-PHISHING AND QUISHING):
Fraudsters impersonate trusted institutions, banks, SARS, service providers, via email, SMS, voice calls, or even QR codes.
Their goal is to steal login credentials or trick victims into transferring money.
Look out for suspicious senders, generic greetings, urgent requests, unusual links, and poor grammar.
Never click on unknown links rather verify messages through official channels, and enable multi-factor authentication.
2. BUSINESS EMAIL COMPROMISE (BEC):
Criminals hijack or spoof legitimate business accounts, such as those of CEOs or suppliers, to request fraudulent payments.
This is one of the fastest-growing scams in South Africa, costing companies millions annually.
Emails request urgent transfers or changes to banking details, even if they come from a known address, can be fraudulent and must be checked.
Verify financial requests independently, enforce two-factor authentication, and train staff to identify suspicious activity.
3. RANSOMWARE AND MALWARE:
Malicious software encrypts or damages systems until a ransom is paid.
It is often spread through phishing emails, compromised websites, or infected USB drives.
South Africa has experienced several crippling ransomware incidents, including the National Health Laboratory Service, which was paralysed by the BlackSuit ransomware.
Locked files, ransom demands, strange pop-ups, or sudden system slowdowns.
Keep software updated, back up data regularly, and avoid unknown downloads.
4. DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF SERVICE (DDoS) ATTACKS:
Attackers flood websites or networks with traffic, disrupting operations.
These attacks are often used as smokescreens while hackers attempt more serious intrusions.
Websites or services become unresponsive, extremely slow, or completely inaccessible.
Use DDoS mitigation tools, implement traffic filtering, and prepare incident response strategies.
5. ADVANCED ATTACKS (WATERING HOLE, MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE, SUPPLY-CHAIN):
These highly sophisticated methods target users indirectly:
WATERING HOLE ATTACKS:
Hackers compromise trusted websites to infect visitors.
MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE (MitM):
Attackers intercept communications, often via fake WiFi networks or spoofed sites.
SUPPLY-CHAIN ATTACKS:
Malicious code is hidden inside legitimate software updates, infecting multiple systems at once.
Keep systems fully patched, use VPNs, verify software sources, and avoid unprotected public WiFi.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU BECOME A VICTIM:
If your business or personal systems are compromised, time is critical:
Contact Specialised Security Services (SSS) immediately.
Our Cyber Investigation Unit, one of the largest private units in South Africa, responds 24/7.
Do not tamper with systems.
Preserve devices, logs, and evidence for forensic investigation.
Allow experts to act.
Our team will:
Contain the threat and assess the damage.
Trace the attack vector and perpetrators.
Assist with recovery and data restoration.
Provide forensic reports and liaise with law enforcement if required.
South African businesses face relentless digital threats,
averaging more than 2,100 attacks every week.
The most common dangers include phishing, BEC fraud, ransomware, DDoS, and advanced attack methods
targeting systems through indirect means. Recognising red flags, investing in staff training, and adopting strong prevention measures, such as system patching, backups, and multi-factor authentication,
are essential first steps to safeguarding your company.
However, when an attack occurs, immediate expert intervention makes the difference between minor disruption and catastrophic loss. That is why SSS is always ready to defend, recover, and secure South African businesses and individuals
in the face of rising cybercrime.
Specialised Security Services invites the public to the Mike Bolhuis Daily Projects WhatsApp Channel.
This channel is important in delivering insights into the latest crime trends, awareness, warnings and the exposure of criminals.
How to Join the WhatsApp Channel:
1. Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp on your device.
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4. Make sure you click on "Follow", then click on the "bell"-icon (🔔)
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Regards,
Mike Bolhuis
Specialist Investigators into
Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes
PSIRA Reg. 1590364/421949
Mobile: +27 82 447 6116
E-mail: mike@mikebolhuis.co.za
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