WiT, Women in Tech, an international non-profit organization whose mission is to close the gender gap, empower women and help them thrive in their tech careers, recently hosted the Global Tech Summit in Paris earlier this month. The objective of the summit was to drive key conversations about gender diversity and empower women in the tech industry.
The Absa Group was one of the companies that collaborated with Women in Tech for the summit that brought together over 400 delegates from more than 50 countries and provided women from around the globe with the opportunity to engage in crucial discussions related to gender equality.
Absa Group’s Head of Platforms (Cloud), Daleen Pretorius joined a group of panelists in a session themed, ‘Exploring the Role of Innovation in Cybersecurity: Unlocking a Secure Future’. The panel explored and highlighted the pivotal role of innovation in ensuring a secure digital future. Daleen shared her insights on how organisations can protect themselves from ransomware, while also addressing the industry’s struggles with gender diversity and skills shortages. As a part of her presentation, Daleen covered the topic of how the surge of cybercrime has caused unprecedented challenges for businesses around the world. Here are the key touch points she shared about how to prevent and protect digital assets:
Data back-up and recovery
One of the most important steps to have in place for ransomware protection is ensuring that you have proper data backup and recovery. If you have your data recoverable from both a cloud-based service and an alternate physical location, you ensure that ransomware attackers have no leverage during negotiations. Not only that, but you also guarantee a speedier or simpler recovery in the event of a damaging data attack.
Detection software
Make use of anti-ransomware detection software. Email is a common method of a ransomware attack. It is, therefore, important to have a solution that can scan and monitor malicious emails, this will make a significant difference in the prevention of attacks from cybercriminals.
Training and education
Lastly, recognising that human error is often an entry point for ransomware attacks, organisations need to ensure that they put in place comprehensive training programmes to educate employees about the latest cybersecurity best practices. By raising awareness and promoting a culture of vigilance, organisations can significantly reduce the likelihood of falling victim to cyber-attacks.