CASE STUDY correctly 5G can bridge some of that divide . Although 5G is being deployed in South Africa at the moment , 4G / LTE will still have a key role to play in South Africa for a while because we still need to ensure people are connected and bridge the digital divide .
The African continent and in particular South Africa , has witnessed a heightened wave of cyberattacks in recent months targeting sectors like banking and financial services , telecoms , education and government . How is Cell C protecting its digital assets and most importantly client information that it doesn ’ t fall into the hands of cybercriminals ?
The Protection of Personal Information Act ( POPIA ) came into effect in July 2021 , which requires businesses to be compliant based on the conditions set out in the act . Cell C has been in the process of ensuring it is compliant in all its policies to meet the July 1st , 2021 deadline . In addition to POPIA compliance , we perform regular penetration testing to highlight potential weaknesses that might be a gateway for cybercriminals and put a plug on them , closing any gaps .
Noting that excess security in the form of software on individual devices may slow down employees ’ ability to work due to hardware being slowed down , we rather invest in the education of our workforce . Employee education and awareness are key because employees need to be empowered with the right knowledge to identify potential risks and how to stay protected , especially because of the remote working culture that has been adopted . From the ransomware and data breach cases we have seen in the past 18 months , employees were the gateway for cybercriminals in some of them . There are many different types of ransomware such as phishing and viruses that employees might fall victim to that then allow cybercriminals to infiltrate the organisation ’ s system . It is not at the fault of the employee because cybercriminals are evolving almost at the same pace as cybersecurity technology and tricks such as phishing emails are so advanced they appear to be legit . Cell C staff are educated and reminded regularly to be cyber secure in an effort to amplify the standard IT controls we have in place to strengthen our security structure .
How much of your IT infrastructure is on premise versus that which is hosted in the cloud ?
Currently , we have limited services in the cloud but we are looking at migrating more business operations to the cloud as part of our technology strategy . One of the key drivers in this is that such a migration must make commercial and business sense . If not done correctly , the cost can run away with you quickly .
Other than the rollout of 5G technology across South Africa what other initiatives will you be focusing on in 2021 and how hands-on are you going to be involved with your IT team ?
I ’ ll be focusing on three major activities namely the implementation of Cell C ’ s new network strategy , putting in place the building blocks for Cell C ’ s digital ecosystem and BSS transformation as part of the Digital Transformation plan .
In terms of involvement with my team , I try and stay as close as possible to them , allowing them the opportunity to take responsibility and accountability for their areas and be available to support them where and when needed . My biggest wish for each of them as a team is to be successful and in doing so support the success of the entire organisation . I believe that there needs to be a balance of being an observer and being hands-on in the thick of things . Additionally , we have an extremely talented technology team who are experts in their respective fields and are more than capable to execute their tasks knowing they are trusted .
How is Cell C reprioritising IT spending in an era of lockdowns and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic ?
At the moment we are focused on digital – app and web portals – and in support of this , the BSS transformation , because ultimately we need to remove the friction for our customers to make their experience as seamless as possible . In parallel we are building the digital ecosystem because if we are successful with its implementation , we can replicate the model anywhere in Africa .
What is the business outlook for Cell C in South Africa in 2021 ?
There is pressure on the industry due to the increased demand for data and consumption , and revenue not climbing at the same rate . At Cell C , we are in a fortunate position because we are lean as an organisation and relatively smaller than other operators – this gives us the ability to make decisions and take action without going through a hierarchy of approvals to get the simple things done . We have positioned ourselves as a force to be reckoned with . As a business in transition we are starting to see the impact of our changes and the Cell C team is highly focused on continuing to build a profitable , innovative player and we are on track to achieving that ambition . p
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