Data breaches and cyber-attacks

Last week, international credit bureau TransUnion, confirmed that it was a victim of a hack by a 'criminal third party'. The company also confirmed that it will not be paying the extortion demand that was received. Data breaches have been on the rise globally and South Africa has seen unprecedented increases in the number of cyber victims. Over the past two years, companies have been reporting that they have been victims of cyber attacks and data breaches. Some of these breaches included the compromise of personal information of consumers. The Department of Justice recently announced that it was a victim of a cybercrime, so in essence, no organisation is immune against cyber-attacks. We’re in conversation with Manie van Schalkwyk, the CEO of the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service, and he believes that this is a further indication that every company that holds personal information is a potential target. He is of the view that the consumer desperately needs an extra layer of protection on their identity against criminals who will turn their lives upside down without a second thought. Title: [• Mr.] Name: [• Manie van Schalkwyk ] Position AND org.: [• CEO of the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS)]